Pensions Bill

The Minister will remember that, when I supported my noble friend Lord Hunt’s amendment on the abolition of compulsory annuities, I spoke about campaigns in your Lordships’ House. I am happy to support my noble friend Lord Fowler’s campaign for post-legislative scrutiny, which he introduced to your Lordships’ House in his maiden speech in 2001. In last year’s Pensions Bill, after what I would regard as a tiny bit of argy-bargy with another place, my noble friend managed to get the Government to accept post-legislative scrutiny of that legislation in 2014. The provision is in Section 24 of that Act. Amendment No. 136AC would produce the same result for this Bill. I found it rather ironic that, today of all days, my noble friend Lord Fowler spoke about the expense of errors in social security and, especially, pensions law—an underestimate if ever I heard one. We have knowledge today of the ombudsman’s report on Equitable Life, which we on these Benches welcome. My party’s pressure forced the Government to allow the ombudsman to investigate the regulation of Equitable Life in the first place. The ombudsman highlights significant regulatory failings, including those that occurred when the present Prime Minister, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was responsible. He cannot escape the blame. The Government must now issue an apology and create a repayment scheme for those who lost out. The scheme must be consistent with sound public finances. That means that policyholders cannot expect to receive payments for the full losses suffered. None the less, if the Government do not come up rapidly with a plan, we most certainly will. We also remember the related environment for, and the cost of—we now know those costs—setting up the financial assistance scheme. I have a little trouble, as the Minister no doubt does, with the date that my noble friend has chosen. The Government intend to consider changes to personal accounts—a good example is transfers in and out—in 2017. In order to achieve this, they will need to undertake at least a partial review the year before—that is, 2016—and consult on that review. Given that the Government have now conceded that pensions Acts need periodic review, I cannot imagine that the Minister will defy my noble friend Lord Fowler—at least, I jolly well hope not—in his endeavour on this Bill. Otherwise, I would add power to my noble friend’s elbow to pursue his course, if necessary in the same way as was done last year. So, not today.