Contributions
1,413 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)When questioned on Tuesday, the Minister talked about the issues that had been raised about intermediate ratings, and the possibility of intermediate points within intermediate…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)I have a similar question to the one I had earlier. We need to ensure that those responsible for generating the data are kept in the loop and that they have enough of a timeline…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)I was thinking about how the amendment would work in practice in my local area. I live in the Aberdeen city council area. We are landlocked. We are surrounded by the Aberdeenshire…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)This is a genuine question that I do not know the answer to. Is reducing the contribution made by employers the only way that the funds can currently utilise a surplus, or are…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)I want to ask the Minister about the comments made on Tuesday in relation to the transparency already required of local government pension schemes. My understanding is that local…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)I rise to speak to clause 10 and the consultations that the Secretary of State will undertake in advance of making the value for money regulations. Subsection (7) says: “The…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)Perhaps it reflects my ideological position that I am much more comfortable seeing this happen with local authorities than I am here, and I am looking for more guardrails. In…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)I declare an interest as a holder of deferred membership of a local government pension scheme in Scotland, which will come into scope should the Government amendments go through,…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)I will not say much just now. I would like to hear what the Minister says, and I might bob again after that, Sir Christopher.04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)There is an absolute veto power—a yes or no—but it is also about the power for trustees to be able to say to employers, “This is how we would like you to use the money.” There is…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)What is the Government’s rationale for not including Scotland in new clause 22? Is it because the Scottish Government looked at the original Bill and had not seen the amendments?…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)Does the Minister have any hypothetical examples? I am not asking him to commit to anything being a prescribed condition, but just to give us some examples so that we have an idea.04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)As I said, I wanted to hear from the Minister. I agree that trustees should be the ones making the decision on how to spend any surplus and whether to make an uprating. However,…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)If the hon. Member for Wyre Forest can confirm that he does not intend the change to apply in Scotland, because we do not have strategic authorities, I am quite happy not to vote…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)The Minister has said that trustees are required to act in the interests of and to the benefit of scheme members. However, they are required to act so that members will get the…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)I will speak specifically to amendments 260 and 265. Any communication with scheme members is a good thing, particularly if there are to be changes such as those we have been…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)I have a question on the definition of “dormant”. The clause states that a pension pot is “dormant” if no contributions have been made for 12 months and if “the individual has,…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Third sitting)Would the Minister encourage those schemes that find that they want to release the surplus in relation to the uplift, but are struggling to get that process across the line, to go…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)I think this is the place to do it. In fact, I think every place is the place to do it. When we debated the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Act 2022, for example, I…04 Sept 2025HANSARDPension Schemes Bill (Fourth sitting)The point is about the regulations on the surplus and the times at which schemes can pay it. It is not about looking at each individual scheme; it is about looking at the level…04 Sept 2025