United Kingdom

UK - Independent trustees can expect lenient treatment from the ombudsman over transfer blunders made in scheme wind-up, a lawyer claims.

UK - The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority has published an updated version of its guide on the minimum funding requirement.

UK - The Pensions Protection Fund will be an "empty bucket" for underfunded schemes being wound up, City University's Cass Business School claims.

UK - Unions have won a stay of execution for the future of final salary pension provision at engineering giant Smiths Group.

UK - Friends Provident is unveiling a new system which enables staff to join group personal pension or stakeholder schemes online.

UK - Scheme equity portfolios will benefit from a sustainable global economic recovery, fund managers believe.

UK - The pensions ombudsman could be on a collision course with the courts following an "act of defiance" over his jurisdiction, lawyers warn.

UK/EU - Consultants are urging the government to spell out the impact new EU employment laws will have on firms with closed final salary schemes.

UK - Independent actuary Garvins is targeting small schemes by claiming it can offer them better value for money than larger consultants.

UK - The Pensions Trust has dropped Watson Wyatt as its actuarial consultant and appointed HSBC Actuaries and Consultants in its place.