United Kingdom

UK - Labour backbenchers have pledged to "campaign like fury" against the government to win compensation for scheme members affected by company closures.

UK - Rising equity markets have slashed scheme deficits at Britain's largest companies by over 50% to £50bn, new research shows.

UK - The GMB union is calling for the Pension Protection Fund to be introduced retrospectively following the wind-up of another UK pension scheme.

UK - Butterfield Private Bank is to hire seven new business development managers in a bid to "maintain high levels of service" to professional advisers.

UK - Speakers at a recent Society of Pension Consultants conference in the UK aired hard truths, arguing for a rise in the retirement age, urging creative blends of pensions schemes and lambasting fund professionals for overly relying on benchmarks.

UK/NETHERLANDS - The Dutch-based Blue Sky Group, managers of the pension assets for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has appointed Pimco to a e218m global real return mandate.

UK - Bank of Ireland Asset Management has won a global equity brief from the £1.5bn Tesco Pension Scheme.

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers has dropped AMP as administrator to its defined contribution platform.

UK - Two of the UK's largest pension schemes are considering allocations to hedge funds.

UK - The CAMRA Database, which allows investors to search for extensive statistical information on asset managers' products, company profiles including their investment process and custodial arrangements and fees, can now be accessed online at www.camradata.com....