United Kingdom

UK - Tax consultant Anil Kumar was jailed for four years on Monday after being found guilty of illegally raiding pension schemes and evading tax.

UK - Prime minister Tony Blair (pictured) is considering special payouts to scheme members who lost their pensions when their firms collapsed.

UK - The Financial Services Authority will be forced to pay into the Pensions Protection Fund despite it being "virtually impossible" for the regulator to collapse.

UK - Royal Doulton has hit back at union claims that the closure of its UK factory will place the pension benefits of its 525 staff under threat.

UK - Scheme investment in property is "evolving apace" and is likely to increase due to its relative outperformance, a new survey shows.

UK - Employers could be forced to pay a flat-rate levy for the Pensions Protection Fund for up to six years, industry leaders warn.

UK - The Financial Services Skills Council has teamed up with the International Compliance Association to establish industrywide standards for compliance.

UK - The UK Atomic Energy Authority's in-house pensions administrator will be allowed to bid for contracts outside the energy industry under changes to the Energy Bill.

UK - Multi-manager specialist Russell Investment Group has been appointed to a global equity mandate worth over £24m by L'Oreal (UK) Limited Retirement Benefits Plan.

UK - A national network of independent and affordable advice centres is the only way to encourage people to save for their retirement, the Consumers' Association claims.