United Kingdom

UK - Pension Corporation chief executive Edmund Truell has urged the government to focus on the "real pension issues", after its recent proposal to strengthen the powers of the Pensions Regulator (TPR) to deal with pension buy outs.

UK - The Lothian Pension Fund has become one of the lead plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit accusing BP of destroying shareholder value.

UK - HM Treasury has released figures showing contributions paid by UK Government departments and employees to public sector pension schemes are £30bn less than the cost of the new benefits being earned.

UK - The Merseyside Pension Fund is in a deficit of £1bn (US$1.98bn), according to its latest actuarial valuation.

UK - Pension trustees' views on the future of defined benefit (DB) schemes is at odds with the expectations of employers, a survey from Aon Consulting has revealed.

UK - L&G has carried out a partial buyout of the TI pension scheme, to take responsibility for 20% of its overall value.

UK - The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has been urged to address issues in its conflicts of interest guidance which it has been claimed could push the UK further towards becoming a defined contribution (DC) nation.

UK - A plan by petrochemical company INEOS to close its final salary pension scheme to new members and reduce provision to existing members could threaten fuel supplies to the whole of the UK.

UK - 'Substantial progress' has been made towards calling off a tube strike over pensions which threatens to paralyse London for 48 hours next week.

UK - Years of onerous legislation, tight regulation and financial turmoil have created a hostile environment for companies running defined benefit pension schemes, according to Aon Consulting.