United Kingdom

UK - Schemes, insurers, fund managers and trust companies are linking up to set out shareholder duties in a bid to stop the government imposing legislation on activism.

UK - The government is considering scrapping tax relief on pensions savings for anyone in the 40% tax bracket.

UK - Mercer Human Resource Consulting is holding a series of pension courses and seminars in London, Manchester, Leeds, Leatherhead and Buckinghamshire next month.

UK - Aberdeen Asset Management split-capital trust pioneer Chris Fishwick has quit as investment director.

UK - Investec Asset Management is the best performing fund manager of UK pension fund money, interim performance figures from the WM Company show.

EUROPE/UK - Rigid application of the stability pact is stifling economic growth and stability in Euroland.

UK - The Alliance of Occupational Pensioners is urging the government to make company pension contributions compulsory.

UK - Capital Cranfield Trustees has appointed Bob Bridges as managing director and David Bright as an associate director.

UK - The government is planning to set up a Royal Commission on pensions, a move which would delay reform for years, senior sources have revealed.

UK - OPRA is preparing to take on a raft of new roles to become the "new kind of regulator" outlined in Alan Pickering's Simplification Report.