Europe

UK - Clerical Medical admitted last week that it will stay closed to new pensions business while its administration backlog remains.

UK - Employers are to blame for cuts in occupational pensions, union leaders claim.

EUROPE - The Council of Europe is planning to restructure its pension scheme, currently operating as pay-as-you-go with individual member states responsible for making good any shortfall.

UK - The move away from defined benefit schemes in the UK will eventually be reversed, a leading lawyer claims.

UK - Aquila is to provide the in-house administration system for the Standard Life staff pension scheme.

UK - Baring Asset Management (BAM) has appointed Peter Lynch energy and utility analyst in its UK and European investment team.

EUROPE - The European Federation for Retirement Provision (EFRP) is set to admit the French institutional fund organisation, the Centre Technique des Institutions de Prevoyance (CTIP) into its ranks.

UK - Pension funds holding shares in embattled telecommunication company Marconi could find their stake in the company is worthless, equity analysts warn.

UK - The £1.4bn Coats Viyella scheme had its £85.4m surplus, under old accounting rule SSAP24, slashed to an FRS17 deficit of £2.2m.

UK - Government plans for the pensions credit have been slammed by the Liberal Democrats as being "eye-wateringly complicated".