United Kingdom

UK - The government has cut the time period the pensions regulator has to issue contribution notices to prevent the department for work and pensions being sued.

UK - Royal Mail warns of price hikes if trustee demands over slashing the pension scheme deficit go ahead.

UK - IBM scheme members have decided not to appeal an ombudsman determination that rejected their claims that the computer giant had unlawfully cut their pensions.

UK - Mandate awards across Africa, Europe and the UK have seen Investec Asset Management's UK institutional business grow more than £650m over the six months ending September 30, 2004.

UK - British Airways "may not survive" unless unions agree to share the pensions burden, trustee chairman Mervyn Walker warns.

UK - Final salary pension schemes in the UK will cease to exist as defined contribution (DC) and hybrid schemes become the way of the future, new research by The Bank of New York has found.

UK - The new Pensions Act is a "disaster" which will encourage firms to move scheme operations offshore, senior industry figures warn.

UK - AXA Investment Managers has restructured its UK equity team to include hybrid positions known as fund manager analysts.

UK - The pensions crisis has seen a surging demand for risk budgeting by trustees, a leading consulting firm claims.

UK - Schroder Investment Management has lost a £215m active Far Eastern equity brief with the London Regional Transport pension fund to Nomura Asset Management UK Ltd.