United Kingdom

UK - Third party administrator Paymaster has scooped administration mandates for five local authorities.

UK - More than 1.8m fewer employees have final salary occupational schemes than a decade ago, according to a Trades Union Congress analysis of government figures.

UK - Michael Dobson, chief executive of embattled fund manager Schroders, is optimistic about the firm's prospects despite seeing it post a £8.1m loss for 2001.

UK - Strong growth in private equity over the next few years is predicted by two new reports.

UK - The Pickering review must share the responsibility for legislation simplification between employers and the industry, warns two industry bodies.

UK - Changes to the minimum funding requirement (MFR) will have no effect on the long-term cost of a scheme, according to Aon Consulting.

UK - The L'Oréal UK pension fund has been forced to increase its contributions by 0.5% to 10.5% of pensionable salaries after announcing a £4m slump in the value of the fund.

UK - Legal & General saw pre-tax profits rise 10% last year, part of a set of results that led group chief executive David Prosser to claim that 2001 was "a year of substantial achievement".

UK - Fund managers are predicting no increase in the supply of top-rated corporate bonds this year.

UK - The £2.3bn Boots defined benefit scheme in the UK is "well and truly open" despite some reports suggesting otherwise, according to John Ralfe, head of corporate finance at the Boots Company and a member of the Boots Pension Trustee Investment Committee....