United Kingdom

UK - The government is prepared to pass legislation to ensure that pension schemes respond to the Myners report by spring 2003, the NAPF's autumn conference was told last week.

UK - Although unemployment figures in the UK have increased for the first time since 1992, recession is unlikely according to Marc Breutsch, head of economic research at Swiss Life Asset Management.

UK - RBC Global Services, Institutional & Investor Services (IIS) has appointed Simon Coleman as director of operations in London.

UK - Peter Stanyer said in the High Court yesterday that he did not think it was true that Mercury Asset Management (MAM) believed it should tailor risk profiles for clients even though he had written a note to that effect.

UK - The £6.5bn BBC pension scheme has appointed two new managers and topped up the mandates of two of its existing bond managers - in the process removing £680m from Schroder Investment Management.

UK - Technology stocks are showing strong signs of a sustained recovery, leading fund managers claim.

UK - Schroder Investment Management is facing a shareholder challenge to the remuneration package awarded to its new chief executive, Michael Dobson.

UK - The £225m AEA Technology pension fund has awarded two new mandates.

UK - Friends Ivory & Sime has reorganised its equities team and appointed Debbie Clarke as head of global large-cap equities and Bill Brown as head of pan-European small-cap equities.

UK - The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) has denied that staff shortages have forced them to cut back on the investigation of late payment breaches.