United Kingdom

UK - Automated pension reporting software firm FRS has launched Virtual CA 2.5 into the UK market.

UK - Delegates at the recent CBI/Mercer conference in London were left "disappointed" at last week's TaxBrief conference after delays to the Inland Revenue's tax simplification paper meant speakers had little to talk about.

UK - The Association of British Insurers is to develop an official information pack on workplace pensions for the government.

UK - The succession of Brambles's chief executives has been welcomed by proxy voting groups for adhering to best practice.

UK - Pointon York Sipp Solutions is using research showing the dire state of unit-linked personal pensions to bolster the take-up of its self-invested personal pensions.

UK - Investec Asset Management has lost another senior figure from its fixed income team.

UK - Friends Provident has struck off FedEx from its stewardship funds and has given its managers six months to sell the stock.

UK - Attempts to sue Equitable Life's former directors for negligence is unlikely to generate any of the £3.2bn the company claims was lost, lawyers say.

UK - The development of an industry-wide contract for schemes and fund managers has hit a brick wall after disagreements over a clause to limit liabilities.

UK - Funding problems at the Teachers' Pension Scheme have been linked to a cull of more than 21,000 teaching posts.