United Kingdom

UK - The Liberal Democrats have preempted the Government's Green Paper on pension reform.

UK - The Church of England looks set to retain its defined benefit scheme.

UK - Stuart Niman has joined Merrill Lynch Investment Managers as a fund manager on the Sterling fixed income team.

UK - Watson Wyatt is urging the government to scrap contracting-out and increase the age of retirement to 67.

UK - The £5.6bn Greater Manchester Pension Fund admits it needs to improve transaction fee monitoring and create more explicit mandates for internal managers.

UK - Isis Property has completed the letting of an office development at the Great West Plaza office park in Middlesex to the food manufacturer Hebatco International.

UK - Schemes should retain their investments in the technology sector as they will recover in value, Standard Life Investments believes.

UK - Employees do not trust anyone to keep their word on pensions, opinion research agency YouGov claims.

UK - Publishing group Trinity Mirror will close its three final salary pension schemes to new members from the beginning of next year.

UK - Management systems provider MacGregor has agreed an access deal with NeoNet's electronic trading network.