Pensions Bill

moved AmendmentNo. 144: 144: Clause 23, page 25, line 18, at end insert— ““(3) Before the Secretary of State makes any regulations by virtue of— (a) section 15(6), or (b) section 18(9), he must consult such persons as he considers appropriate. (4) Subsection (3) does not apply— (a) to regulations made for the purpose only of consolidating other regulations revoked by them, (b) in a case where it appears to the Secretary of State that by reason of urgency consultation is inexpedient, (c) to regulations made before the end of the period of6 months beginning with the coming into force of the provision mentioned in subsection (3) by virtue of which the regulations are made, or (d) to regulations which— (i) state that they are consequential upon a specified enactment, and (ii) are made before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the coming into force of that enactment. (5) In subsection (4) ““enactment”” includes an enactment comprised in subordinate legislation.”” The noble Lord said: This amendment amends Clause 23 to provide that the freestanding powers in this Bill to make regulations relating to occupational pensions are subject to the precondition that consultation must take place with interested parties subject to certain exemptions. This does nothing more than put the position in line with the position of other occupational pensions legislation and I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to. Clause 23, as amended, agreed to. Clauses 24 and 25 agreed to. Schedule 7 [Repeals and revocations]: