Pensions Bill
9:30 am
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne, Conservative)
I do not want to detain the Committee long on this motion, because we have a lot to say about the business that is guillotined to finish by the end of this morning's sitting. However, here we are again—barely a week into the Committee stage—with a change in the batting order. Although I declared an interest on Second Reading, it may be advisable to do so again now, because I have private pension provision. We consented to the revised programme motion, not least because if we had not done so, the Government would have passed it anyway.
Our discussion on the motion gives me the opportunity to put down a couple of markers about the future conduct of our proceedings now and on Report. The Government have been open about the fact that they intend to table a substantial number of amendments on a range of issues. We have already discussed many Government amendments, but they were concerned with minor drafting matters and polishing up the Bill. We are now awaiting Government amendments affecting some meaty issues, some of which are related to tomorrow's Budget. There seems to be difficulty in attaining consistency between the regulator's powers and functions and the proposed pension protection fund, although that should have been thought through before the Bill was published.
I think that the Minister accepts my concerns about such matters. For example, we have allowed the traditional one sitting to deal with new clauses at the end of our proceedings in Committee, but if the Government have tabled a raft of new clauses they may be in difficulty. If they decide to extend the duration of the Committee stage, we would like to know about that sooner than later—and I also make an urgent plea about the amendments. We understand that big issues are involved, and the Government should make their amendments public before we debate them in Committee not only for our sake, although that would be nice, but for the outside
organisations and individuals that often have a legitimate interest in our consideration of the Bill, and may wish to have their thoughts about proposed new parts of it transmitted through us.
It is important to receive a clear undertaking from the Minister that the Government are on top of the draftsmen day and night, to ensure that we do not get into major difficulties. I am talking not only about the Bill getting into difficulties, but about the burdens and problems that that causes for the Opposition and for outside organisations. Unless we receive early information about what amendments will be tabled, I cannot emphasise too much the fact that potential problems lie ahead.
Let us not lose sight of the draft regulations, either. Great tranches of the Bill rely heavily on regulations, and it would be meaningless to debate them until we have sight of them. We have not yet seen even one draft regulation; I imagine that the available manpower is too busy working on the amendments. I shall leave it there for the moment, Mr. Griffiths. I am sure that you appreciate that we shall face difficulties if the problem is not rectified.