United Kingdom

UK - Government plans to cut a subsidy boosting the appeal of solar panel infrastructure investments could scupper scheme plans to use these investments as part of their liability matching strategies, fund managers say.

UK - Aegon is to close its defined benefit pension scheme to future accrual in March 2013 as part of its restructure and cost saving programme.

UK - The Pension Protection Fund has published its annual report - revealing a surplus of £678m ($1.1bn) at 31 March.

UK - Schemes looking to maximise returns in a low interest rate environment must work closely with investment banks to boost member outcomes, Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond says.

UK -More than 40% of firms have closed or are in the process of closing their defined benefit pension schemes, latest research from Aon Hewitt shows.

UK - The government has offered unions an improved accrual rate of 1/60th and more protection for workers approaching retirement in a concession on public sector pension changes.

UK - NOW: Pensions, the multi-employer scheme set up by Danish pension scheme ATP to rival the National Employment Savings Trust, has unveiled details of its product offering.

UK - NEST has signed up to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing in a bid to boost long term investing and good corporate governance.

UK - Andrew Meeson, the president of the Association of Tax Technicians, has stepped down from his post after being charged in relation to a £5m ($8m) pension tax fraud.