Pensions Bill. Lords Committee stage third day. Schedule 6 agreed to. Clauses 20, 21 and 22 agreed to. Clause 23 agreed to as amended. Clauses 24 and 25 agreed to. Schedule 7 agreed to as amended. Clause 26 agreed to. Clause 27 negatived on question. Clause 29 and 30 agreed to. Bill reported with amendments. (HL Bill 77 2006-07).
Pensions Bill
Committee of the Whole House (HL)
and
Debate on bills on Monday, 11 June 2007,
in the House of Lords.
About these Parliamentary proceedings
Reference
692 c1507-82 Session
2006-07Legislative stage
Committee stageChamber / Committee
House of Lords chamberRelated items
Pensions Bill. Brought from the Commons. Explanatory Notes HL Bill 61-EN also published.
Thursday, 19 April 2007
Bills
House of Lords
Thursday, 19 April 2007
Bills
House of Lords
Proceeding contributions
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1550-1 (Link to this contribution)
I had not intended to interrupt proceedings, but it is hardly surprising that Clause 20 has taken so...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1551 (Link to this contribution)
I presume that the noble Lord was talking to Clause 20 stand part. We have gone through a whole seri...
Show all contributions (134)
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1551 (Link to this contribution)
The Minister misses the point. The reason that I ask whether we can see the advice before it is form...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1552 (Link to this contribution)
The fact that I am an unpaid cynic does not alter the fact that my request has been made and I expec...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1551-2 (Link to this contribution)
I cannot believe that someone charged with being the chair or chief executive of the authority, bein...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1544-5 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, for tabling AmendmentNo. 118 and to my noble frien...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1545 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister. At the end, he said that he did not want the Bill to compromise consideration ...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1547-8 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 123:
123: Clause 20, page 24, line 3, leave out subsection (7)
The noble Baro...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1547 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. In her keenness not to sound like a broken record, she mi...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1546-7 (Link to this contribution)
I am happy to welcome the discussion around these amendments and I thank the noble Baroness for tabl...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1545-6 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 119:
119: Clause 20, page 23, line 43, at end insert—
““( ) In discharging its...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1550 (Link to this contribution)
That is an interpretation of the phrase ““will have regard to””. If I am incorrect on that, I am hap...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1550 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that reply, but I cannot actually say that she picked up the points about t...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1548-50 (Link to this contribution)
It seems to me that one of the main points of parliamentary scrutiny around the work of the authorit...
Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen | 692 c1544 (Link to this contribution)
Amendments Nos. 122A and 122B stand in my name. The references to supporting best practice in terms ...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1541-2 (Link to this contribution)
Subject to the general point on not needing to be specific in the Bill at this stage, the noble Baro...
Lord Blackwell | 692 c1541 (Link to this contribution)
Perhaps I may anticipate the general answer that the Minister will give, in that guidance is already...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1542 (Link to this contribution)
If my officials have a detailed answer to that before I sit down, I am sure that a note will wend it...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1542 (Link to this contribution)
I asked the Minister to comment on the ABI’s estimate that 90 per cent of pension savings would be s...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1543 (Link to this contribution)
I believe that it will. I understand that it is likely to happen this week—I see a nod from the Box....
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1542 (Link to this contribution)
I know that the Minister is not teasing us, but if that conclusion is not imminent, it would be very...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1543 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that reply. I was disappointed that he felt unable to share even the smalle...
Viscount Allenby of Megiddo | 692 c1535 (Link to this contribution)
No, the amendment has been withdrawn.
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1536 (Link to this contribution)
I am sorry but I specifically asked whether I could say something when I had heard the Minister’s re...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1536 (Link to this contribution)
I do not know whether the Government Whip, if I may address her as such on this occasion, would agre...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1536 (Link to this contribution)
In that case, I shall make my points on the next amendment because they are fairly general. However,...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1536 (Link to this contribution)
I am sure that the Committee will agree that we have a number of amendments on a similar theme. Perh...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1536-7 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 114:
114: Clause 20, page 23, line 27, at end insert—
““( ) In carrying out it...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1537 (Link to this contribution)
I speak to these amendments and the series of amendments the noble Baroness is moving about the obje...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1537-8 (Link to this contribution)
The noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, pre-empted the thrust of my reply but I shall give it anyway. We are...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1538-9 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that reply. I know that he will say the same thing on all the amendments; I...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1539-40 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 116:
116: Clause 20, page 23, line 43, at end insert—
““( ) In discharging its...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1507-8 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 89:
89: Schedule 6, page 58, line 14, after ““a”” insert ““direct or indirect”...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1507 (Link to this contribution)
My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now again resolve itself into Committee on this Bill.
Mov...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1510 (Link to this contribution)
To reflect a moment on what the noble Baroness said, I did not say thatI imagined that conflicts of ...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1508-10 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the noble Baroness for her thoughtful and helpful contribution, which has allowed this short...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1510 (Link to this contribution)
My intention was to be clear that conflicts of interest will be recorded. Where members of committee...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1516-7 (Link to this contribution)
As explained, Amendments Nos. 106 and 107 would amend Schedule 6, requiring the delivery authority t...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1516 (Link to this contribution)
We on these Benches are sympathetic to noble Baroness’s intention that there should be regular repor...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1514-5 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 106:
106: Schedule 6, page 65, line 34, after ““must”” insert ““show separatel...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1514 (Link to this contribution)
I accept that the question ofthe delivery authority may give rise to slightly different issues. Neve...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1513 (Link to this contribution)
I am on a roll. For now, however, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withd...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1519-20 (Link to this contribution)
I have tabled an amendment in this group. We support the principle behind the amendment of the noble...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1517-8 (Link to this contribution)
I do not think that I will respond to the latter point; it depends on how amenable the Minister is a...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1518-9 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 111:
111: Clause 20, page 23, line 27, at end insert—
““(2A) In discharging it...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1511 (Link to this contribution)
I hope that I can be equally brief. In all cases involved with public appointments, we or, later, th...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1511-2 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 95:
95: Schedule 6, page 59, line 13, leave out paragraph (d) and insert—
““(d...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1511 (Link to this contribution)
I am more than happy with that and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, with...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1511 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 94:
94: Schedule 6, page 59, line 3, at end insert—
““( ) The term of an appoi...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1510 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister and I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
[A...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1512 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the noble Baroness for moving the amendment. When I read the original wording and then the a...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1512 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1513 (Link to this contribution)
Again, I thank the noble Baroness for making a series of intriguing points.As she may already be awa...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1532-3 (Link to this contribution)
This has been an interesting debate. The noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, and I think the noble Lord, Lo...
Baroness Thomas of Winchester | 692 c1527 (Link to this contribution)
We strongly support the amendments, as does the Equal Opportunities Commission. I fear that I shall ...
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1528-9 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my noble friend Lady Hollis for not withdrawing the amendment before we had a chance to disc...
Baroness Hollis of Heigham | 692 c1529 (Link to this contribution)
I think that my noble friend would be slightly shocked if I were to try to push it further at this s...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1529-31 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 113:
113: Clause 20, page 23, line 27, at end insert—
““( ) In carrying out it...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1531 (Link to this contribution)
I shall make a general point about this and subsequent amendments, following the noble Baroness. The...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1531 (Link to this contribution)
Yes, I can anyway. In general, I am quite sympathetic to what the Minister will say—as the noble Bar...
Lord Turner of Ecchinswell | 692 c1531-2 (Link to this contribution)
I am sympathetic to the aim of the amendment, which is to ensure thatthe concerns about levelling do...
Lord Blackwell | 692 c1532 (Link to this contribution)
This is a very important amendment, but first I should remind the Committee of the interests that I ...
Baroness Hollis of Heigham | 692 c1524-7 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 112:
112: Clause 20, page 23, line 27, at end insert—
““( ) The Authority shal...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1523-4 (Link to this contribution)
I hear what the Minister says. I was trying to give a reasonably balanced and constructive response,...
Baroness Howe of Idlicote | 692 c1521 (Link to this contribution)
I have a great deal of sympathy with Amendment No. 111 because, as we all know, it will be at the po...
Baroness Turner of Camden | 692 c1520 (Link to this contribution)
At Second Reading I drew attention to briefing I had received from, I think, Scottish Widows, which ...
Lord Blackwell | 692 c1520-1 (Link to this contribution)
I support the issue raised by both these amendments on the advice scheme. It is a key part of the pr...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1523 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that thoughtful reply. As he stresses, this is work in progress. The issue ...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1521-3 (Link to this contribution)
I thank all noble Lords who have spoken on the amendment. It has given us the opportunity to discuss...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1533-4 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that reply and other noble Lords who participated in the debate. I think th...
Baroness Hollis of Heigham | 692 c1534 (Link to this contribution)
I listened to the noble Baroness’s remarks with interest and respect. Why does she think that that d...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1535 (Link to this contribution)
We shall have to see whether the new chairman and members of the authority are martians or earthling...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1535 (Link to this contribution)
Before the noble Baroness sits down, I believe this is my chance to say something.
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1535 (Link to this contribution)
We are comparing chalk and cheese. The stakeholder schemes were simply not designed in the same way....
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1535 (Link to this contribution)
Does the noble Baroness accept that irrespective of whether the amendment were written in the Bill i...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1534 (Link to this contribution)
The noble Baroness, whom I am sure had great hopes for the stakeholder scheme, has to accept that it...
Baroness Hollis of Heigham | 692 c1534-5 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely accept the noble Baroness’s figures—83 per cent of stakeholder schemes were shell schem...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1534 (Link to this contribution)
Because stakeholders simply did not happen.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham | 692 c1534 (Link to this contribution)
The schemes were set up and employers, had they wished, could have used those schemes as an alternat...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1582 (Link to this contribution)
I should have responded earlier to the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale. I thank him, his colleagues an...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1582 (Link to this contribution)
moved AmendmentsNos. 167 and 168:
167: Clause 28, page 26, line 38, leave out ““other thansection ...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1580 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 166:
166: Schedule 7, page 71, line 30, at end insert—
““Part 6A
Removal of an...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1579-80 (Link to this contribution)
moved AmendmentsNos. 145 to 164:
145: Schedule 7, page 69, line 17, column 2, leave out ““Section”...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1580 (Link to this contribution)
Amendment No. 166, which was part of the annuity debate we had on Wednesday.
On Question, amendmen...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1580 (Link to this contribution)
Forgive me. Could the noble Lord just remind me which amendment he is moving?
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin | 692 c1578 (Link to this contribution)
I am delightedthat my noble friend feels that she can withdrawthe amendment because TPAS has receive...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1578-9 (Link to this contribution)
moved AmendmentNo. 144:
144: Clause 23, page 25, line 18, at end insert—
““(3) Before the Secretar...
Baroness Turner of Camden | 692 c1578 (Link to this contribution)
I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 23 [Orders and regul...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1581 (Link to this contribution)
Although I quite understand why these amendments are necessary, due to recent welcome developments i...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1573 (Link to this contribution)
I am sorry that noble Lords do not want to buy the exact car that I have in mind. None the less, the...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1571-3 (Link to this contribution)
This has been an interesting debate. Perhaps I should start by wishing my noble friend Lord Howarth ...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1576-7 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, for raising the issue of pensions tax relief, which is alway...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1575-6 (Link to this contribution)
We have already debated the unfortunate effect that the current system of pension credit is having o...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1573-4 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 139:
139: After Clause 22, insert the following new Clause—
““Report on tax re...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1577 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for his reply and for making my case when he pointed out that the existing stat...
Baroness Turner of Camden | 692 c1578 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 143:
143: After Clause 22, insert the following new Clause—
““Pensions Advisor...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1577 (Link to this contribution)
Before the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, decides what to do with the amendment, and I assume that he w...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1577 (Link to this contribution)
I am pleased that it has the noble Lord’s support.
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1563 (Link to this contribution)
I start from the point that I am in total agreement with the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott—and indeed w...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1563 (Link to this contribution)
It wants to see the Government take the bull by the horns and reform public sector pensions, but we ...
Baroness Hollis of Heigham | 692 c1563 (Link to this contribution)
I am now completely baffled. What does the noble Lord’s party now wish to see happen, if anything?
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1565-6 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the noble Lord, Lord Turner, for his support and for his excellent analysis of the problem. ...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1564-5 (Link to this contribution)
I thank everyone who participated in the debate. Like the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, I do not be...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1566 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 138:
138: After Clause 22, insert the following new Clause—
““Independent Pens...
Lord Howarth of Newport | 692 c1566-9 (Link to this contribution)
I will speak to Amendment No. 140. All the amendments in the group point in the same direction. In h...
Lord Fowler | 692 c1569-70 (Link to this contribution)
I strongly agree with what the noble Lord, Lord Howarth, has just said. I speak to Amendment No. 142...
Lord Skelmersdale | 692 c1571 (Link to this contribution)
My noble friend Lord Fowler likened this group of three amendments to three cars. He described the f...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1557 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that response, which I shall read carefully in Hansard. I beg leave to with...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1557-8 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 137:
137: After Clause 22, insert the following new Clause—
““Independent Publ...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1555-6 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 131:
131: Clause 22, page 24, line 17, after ““(3)”” insert ““or (3A)””
The n...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1556-7 (Link to this contribution)
Perhaps it would help if I start by explaining why we have included Clause 22, before tackling the s...
Lord Fowler | 692 c1562-3 (Link to this contribution)
That makes the position worse rather than better. I was hoping that the noble Lord was going to say ...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1562 (Link to this contribution)
I am sorry if I did not make it clear in my introduction, but I am not proposing to move that amendm...
Lord Fowler | 692 c1562 (Link to this contribution)
I agree entirely—or at least substantially—with what the noble Lord, Lord Turner, said. I do not ent...
Baroness Turner of Camden | 692 c1561-2 (Link to this contribution)
I want only to make a very brief intervention. It seems to me that there would be difficulty with th...
Lord Turner of Ecchinswell | 692 c1558-61 (Link to this contribution)
This amendment is designed to encourage the Government to take an issue seriously and, indeed, to en...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1555 (Link to this contribution)
That is unfair. This Government introduced the provision in the first place. We did not have a Freed...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1555 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that reply, which is perhaps not entirely surprising. Of course, the Freedo...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1555 (Link to this contribution)
The Ministry of Justice, as I believe we now call it, is carefully trying to find ways of making the...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1553-5 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the noble Baroness for raising this matter. The Freedom of Information Act provides for tran...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1552-3 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 130:
130: After Clause 21, insert the following new Clause—
““Freedom of Infor...
Lord Howarth of Newport | 692 c1574-5 (Link to this contribution)
It would be very helpful to have a report such as the noble Lord has proposed, because it might help...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1543-4 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 118:
118: Clause 20, page 23, line 43, at end insert—
““( ) In discharging its...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1510 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for her reply, although, I must say, it did not address the points that I made....
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1550 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Minister for that; I found it quite extraordinary. When others have checked that, we wil...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1510 (Link to this contribution)
The noble Baroness will find that she said ““imagine””.
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1514 (Link to this contribution)
The amendments focus on the authority’s ability to form committees and the important related issues ...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1523 (Link to this contribution)
There is clearly an important and integral role for the delivery authority in developing the informa...
Baroness Greengross | 692 c1521 (Link to this contribution)
I also support the amendment. I declare an interest as president of the PPI and a trustee of the Res...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1580-1 (Link to this contribution)
This clause provides that any Order in Council made for Northern Ireland at paragraph 1(1) of the Sc...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 692 c1540-1 (Link to this contribution)
What is the Minister’s latest estimate of when the Government will propose the level of cap? On thes...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1513 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 103:
103: Schedule 6, page 62, line 13, leave out from ““contain”” to end of l...
Lord McKenzie of Luton | 692 c1581-2 (Link to this contribution)
The answer to the noble Lord’s question about what would happen if the Assembly did not continue is ...
Baroness Noakes | 692 c1512-3 (Link to this contribution)
moved Amendment No. 96:
96: Schedule 6, page 59, line 26, leave out sub-paragraph (2)
The noble B...
Subjects
Contains statistics
YesLibrarians' tools
Timestamp
2024-02-08 18:01:50 +0000
URI
http://data.parliament.uk/pimsdata/hansard/PROCEEDING_64114
In Indexing
http://indexing.parliament.uk/Content/Edit/1?uri=http://data.parliament.uk/pimsdata/hansard/PROCEEDING_64114
In Solr
https://search.parliament.uk/claw/solr/?id=http://data.parliament.uk/pimsdata/hansard/PROCEEDING_64114