BRITAIN'S life sector appears to be strengthening as insurance giant Legal & General yesterday revealed encouraging business figures for the first six months of the year. They come in the same week as positive half year reports from competitors Britannic Assurance, Prudential and Sun Life, indicating that the pensions market has recovered well from a rocky two years of bad publicity and weakened sales.

L&G's announcement of a 56.4 per cent rise in its British premium income to £141.5 million from 1995's £90.5 million pushes it to the top of the life and pension stakes.