United Kingdom

UK - The revamped Pension Show 2003 gets underway next Wednesday (November 4) in what promises to be an unmissable industry conference.

UK - New government insolvency laws are allowing firms to wind-up schemes without funding to the full buyout level.

UK - Trustees are being forced to snub middle-tier actuarial consultants because of "dangerously low" liability caps.

UK - Equity managers' fees are increasing despite massive falls in stock markets and investor returns, a report by Mercer Investment Consulting shows.

UK - Scores of railway workers will be offered access to the sector's industry-wide scheme following Network Rail's decision to bring its maintenance work back in-house.

SCOTLAND - The £451m Highland Council Pension Fund has hired three fund managers to run mandates worth a total of £221m.

UK - The government is to call on schemes for extra cash to fund its Pensions Compensation Board.

UK - Inadequate monitoring is allowing non-specialist SRI fund managers to "free ride" as the investment style enters the mainstream, new research shows.

UK - Friends Provident has seen a 24% increase in life and pensions sales over the third quarter.

UK - The decision to retain the non-contributory defined benefit pension scheme for John Lewis Partnership workers has cost the firm over half of its profits.