United Kingdom

UK - Only three FTSE100 companies - Cadbury, Diageo and Tesco - still offer defined benefit pension schemes to new employees, Lane Clark & Peacock research revealed.

UK - Devon County Council Pension Fund has appointed managers to run two of the three mandates it tendered for in June.

UK - Unite is set to conduct a consultative ballot on industrial action over pay and pensions involving as many as 2000 of its Fujitsu members.

UK/US - Barclays Global Investors' (BGI) assets under management increased 12% in the first six months of the year, with the firm's iShares business experiencing the fastest growth, its UK-based parent company Barclays reported today.

UK - Pension scheme deficits have failed to improve despite significant rises in equity markets, latest research revealed.

UK - British Telecom pension scheme deficit grew by £3bn (US$5bn) over the last quarter after the telecoms giant reviewed its accounting assumptions.

UK - A High Court test case involving the Ilford Pension Scheme will determine if trustees owe any duties to the Pension Protection Fund, lawyers said.

Losses at airport operator BAA have tripled in the first six months of the year, partly due to a growing defined benefit scheme deficit, its results showed.

UK - The Universities Superannuation Scheme's funding level dropped by 29 percentage points due to losses on investments, and increases in salaries and pensions, its 2009 accounts revealed.

UK - Lloyds Banking Group could potentially close its final salary pension scheme to existing employees, as it reviews its total rewards package.