United Kingdom

UK - Consultants are urging the government to amend scheme wind-up buyout rules to give trustees the flexibility to use non index-linked assets when purchasing annuities.

UK - John Quarrell, one of the industry's most outspoken lawyers, is set to leave Nabarro Nathanson after heading up its pensions practice for 26 years.

UK - Restrictions outlined in the FSA's draft paper on depolarisation will continue to limit consumer choice, Berkeley Berry & Birch claims.

UK - The government has defended letting councils use the proceeds from property sales to fund pension scheme deficits.

UK - Balanced pension fund managers saw their asset values fall by 18.8% last year, the first annual HSBC Actuaries and Consultants IMAGE survey shows.

UK - Occupational defined contribution schemes could be the next pensions mis-selling scandal, consultants warn.

UK/EU - The UK government could be in breach of European law unless it removes a proposed blanket exemption which allows UK pensions schemes to favour married people.

UK/EUROPE - Fund managers are split on whether European equities will recover over the coming year.

UK - The £2.6bn South Yorkshire Pensions Authority and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority have both renewed their contracts with Pensions Investment Research Consultants.

UK - The Church of England fears it could have to sell up to half of its assets - mostly property - to meet its long-term pension obligations.