United Kingdom

UK - Two seminars on how to close or wind up pension schemes are being held in July.

UK - The Institute of Chartered Accountants' pension scheme deficit more than doubled last year.

UK/US - Zurich Financial Services is understood to have put Threadneedle Investments up for sale in a bid to raise capital after a second year of poor performance.

SCOTLAND - Strathclyde's £4.7bn Pension Fund has put out mandates that could be worth over £1bn as part of a major overhaul.

UK - Balanced pooled funds fell by a further 4.3% in the first quarter, the latest HSBC Actuaries and Consultants IMAGE survey shows.

UK - Former employees of the £140m McDermott UK pension scheme have won an ongoing battle for a greater share of the scheme's £30m surplus.

UK - Schemes are not planning a major shift out of equities when the market improves, research from Mercer Investment Consulting shows.

UK - Accountants have backed controversial plans by the Financial Services Authority to give staff in its money purchase scheme bigger pay rises than final salary workers.

SCOTLAND - Hymans Robertson has gone on a recruitment drive in a bid to improve the range and depth of its services.

UK - Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow has been appointed by the government to act as scheme actuary and consultant for the Civil Service pension schemes.