I shall restrict my observations to pensions cold calling and unsolicited marketing thereon.
Last year, I was pleased to play a part in the scrutiny of the Pension Schemes Act 2017. It was timely legislation to ensure that pension savers were adequately protected as they saved, during the working period of their life, by the regulation of master trusts, which had previously been rather worryingly lightly regulated—insufficiently so, when for many, their pension will be their primary asset in life.
I am pleased that this Bill will bring together the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise into a single financial guidance body, under the control of the FCA. I am further pleased to support the Government’s amendments, especially new clauses 4 and 9. It is right that the new clauses in the name of the Government allow the making of regulations to prevent cold calling and the sending of unsolicited direct marketing materials relating to pension savers. That is further strengthened in Government amendment 10.
At the core of what we shall hear in the House this afternoon is whether “may” should become “must”. That is at the core of an amendment tabled by the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd) and Willingdon —amendment (a) to Government new clause 9. There is a case for healthy competition. That usually results in lower charges, and that can be—can be—good for consumers. It would be a draconian measure to ban advertising, to entirely ban direct marketing, because that could be banning choice. It is often good advice for pension savers who have accumulated a pension pot to move to a provider who may provide a better pension, perhaps at a lower cost, with lower charges. That decision now rests with pension providers. If they do not act sensibly, that “may” in Government new clause 9 will, in certain circumstances, become a “will.” That is an important power.
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At the heart of any marketing prohibition lies the well-founded fear of scams. The amount likely to be saved by UK pension savers, each with their own personal
defined-contribution pot, massively expanded by the successful roll-out of auto-enrolment, will in time be truly vast. There are currently 9.3 million people enrolled in workplace pensions. Where pension saving was once a rarity, particularly for the low-paid and the under-30s, it is thankfully now becoming the norm. A rough and ready calculation shows that in time the number of people enrolled in workplace pensions could well rise from 9.3 million to 15 million; I am sure that will be the appropriate figure in time. When we consider that from 5 April 2019, the combined employee and employer contributions will be 8%, we see that if that stays steady, using average salaries, and with a working lifetime of, say, 35 years, that will mean a pension pot in this country of over £1 trillion, and that is without investment growth. Of course, investment growth could be dented by the Labour party’s plans for a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions, but that is a debate for another day.