United Kingdom

UK - Pensions administration specialist Aquila has launched a new service which gives pension funds increased use of the internet.

UK/EUROPE - Company pension costs could double if a union successfully sues the government for failing to protect members' pensions rights, HighamNobbs Consulting warns.

UK - B&CE has chosen Aqera to provide software to produce statutory money purchase illustrations on its EasyBuild pension scheme.

UK - Average salaries for actuaries rose from over £39,000 to around £42,500 in the year to August 2002, a new study shows.

UK - A law firm wants the pensions ombudsman's jurisdiction extended to allow complaints against third-party administrators by employers.

UK - The Conservative Party has accused the government of abdicating responsibility for final salary scheme closures.

UK - Economic growth in the UK will be disappointingly slow and lacklustre over the coming year.

UK/US - Slashing red tape could cut schemes' transatlantic equities trading costs by up to 60%, the International Securities Market Association claims.

UK - The financial services industry should brace itself for more knocks to already deflated business and employment levels over the next three months as firms face waning demand and further costcutting.

UK - Sophis, a provider of portfolio and risk management solutions, has signed a licence agreement with AXA Investment Managers.