United Kingdom

UK - Government plans to give new staff automatic membership of their company pension scheme could prompt a spate of closures, experts warn.

UK - International Asset Management has published a guide on hedge funds.

UK - Mercer Human Resource Consulting is holding a seminar next month on difficulties employers face when they move from final salary pension provision.

UK - The £2.6bn J Sainsbury Pension & Death Benefits Scheme has appointed Aberdeen Property Asset Managers to a £31m property brief.

UK - Funding issues for the £80bn Local Government Pension Scheme will be covered by a series of workshops run by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

UK - Trustees of the Manganese Bronze Holdings pension scheme have agreed a reduction in the company's monthly contributions. Payments will be reduced by £25,000 to £100,000 from January.

UK - Inadequate state pensions throughout Europe offer new business opportunities for insurers, Tillinghast-Towers Perrin predicts.

UK - Online trading network TradeWeb has added UK government bonds to its platform.

UK - Employers could be forced to scrap their money purchase scheme contribution structures when European Union directives on age discrimination come into force, Aon Consulting warns.

UK - Software and administration consultant Dunnett Shaw and third-party administrator MNPA are conducting a survey into the application service provider market.