United Kingdom

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds is set to launch a major review into the standards used for accounting for pensions.

UK - Pensions could play a pivotal role in how the voting swings in the general election, Nigel Waterson says.

UK - The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) will diversify its assets to gain better returns while maintaining the same level of risk, the lifeboat fund said.

UK/GLOBAL - The aggregate funding position of the 7400 defined benefit funds monitored by the Pension Protection Fund improved to a deficit of £15.1bn (US$22.6bn) in February.

UK - Proposed changes to international accounting standard IAS19 could wipe £8.7bn (US$13.2bn) off reported company profits, Mercer warned.

UK - Sales of enhanced annuities in the UK increased by 24% last year, latest Towers Watson research revealed.

UK - Another wave of quantitative easing proposed by Mervyn King could push up pension scheme liabilities and increases deficits after a period of relative calm, Aon warned.

UK/NETHERLANDS - The Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeals has rejected a request by Hermes and the Universities Superannuation Scheme to investigate Canon's tender offer worth €730m (US$998.4m) to buy Océ.

UK - The Conservatives voted against a batch of regulations governing auto-enrolment in a House of Commons committee yesterday.

UK - ITV has reported gains totalling £110m (US$165.4m) from initiatives aimed at reducing the future costs and risks of operating its pension schemes.