Pensions Bill

moved Amendment No. 131: 131: Clause 22, page 24, line 17, after ““(3)”” insert ““or (3A)”” The noble Baroness said: I will also speak to the other four amendments in this group, which all concern Clause 22 and when the winding-up of the authority will occur. Amendments Nos. 131, 133 and 135 insert a new condition for the winding-up ofthe delivery authority. At present, the condition is that, following the abandonment or modification of personal accounts proposals, in the opinion of the Secretary of State it is no longer necessary for the authority to continue. However, our amendmentsadd one circumstance; namely, that the authority considers that it has done its job as specified inClause 20. Amendment No. 132 amends Clause 22(1) so that if the condition in subsection (3) is satisfied—namely, that the Secretary of State considers it no longer necessary for the authority to continue to exist—he must start the winding-up. At present, he must do this only after 2008, but if he reaches at any time after the passing of the Bill the conclusion that the authority is no longer needed, why on Earth should he have any option on whether he starts to wind it up? Lastly, the Government have said that they intend to introduce personal accounts in 2012. Clause 20 states that the delivery authority will be involved in preparing for the implementation of personal accounts, so the delivery authority cannot need to exist beyond 2012 on any reasonable assumptions. Hence Amendment No. 134 provides that the Secretary of State must start the winding-up process no later than the end of 2012. These last two amendments are predicated on the need to eliminate unwanted quangos as soon as their redundancy is identified, and not leave them cluttering up the public sector. I hope the Government will agree with that. I beg to move.