Clause 18
Pensions Bill
2:15 pm
Roger Gale (North Thanet, Conservative)
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:
Clause stand part.
Amendment No. 8, in schedule 6, page 55, line 1, after ‘a’, insert ‘lay’.
Amendment No. 41, in schedule 6, page 55, line 1, leave out ‘chairman’ and insert
‘lay chair who is not perceived to have a conflict of interest with regard to the financial services industry, but is there to represent the views and look after the interests of scheme members and prospective scheme members,’.
Amendment No. 9, in schedule 6, page 55, line 2, after ‘members’, insert
‘(of which two shall be appointed to represent the interests of consumers)’.
Amendment No. 42, in schedule 6, page 55, line 2, after ‘ members’, insert
‘, of which at least two out of nine members will be non-executive consumer directors who represent scheme members and prospective scheme members and are recognised professionally by consumer groups,’.
Amendment No. 10, in schedule 6, page 55, line 3, leave out ‘or (3)’ and insert ‘, (3) or (3A)’.
Amendment No. 11, in schedule 6, page 55, line 8, at end insert—
‘(3A) Before appointing, or approving the appointment of, any member representing the interests of consumers for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b), the Secretary of State must consult such organisations as appear to him to represent the interests of consumers.’.
Amendment No. 44, in schedule 6, page 55, line 8, at end insert—
‘(3A) Any consumer appointments for the purposes of sub-sub-paragraph (1)(b) must be discussed with consumer groups prior to appointment and the said consumer groups will have the right to comment on the said appointments.’.
Amendment No. 12, in schedule 6, page 55, line 11, at end insert—
‘1A Before appointing any member of the Authority under sub-paragraph 1(1) the Secretary of State must—
(a) conduct and open recruitment competition inviting applications from individuals with extensive knowledge, experience and expertise in the fields of pensions or financial marketing or both;
(b) consult organisations which appear to him to represent key groups of stakeholders;
(c) have regard to the desirability of appointing a group of members whose expertise collectively spans all aspects of occupational and personal pension provision and financial marketing.’.
Amendment No. 13, in schedule 6, page 55, line 11, at end insert—
‘1A In appointing members the Secretary of State shall have regard to the desirability of recruiting a group of members so that there is a balance as the Secretary of State considers appropriate between—
(a) members with knowledge and experience of consumers’ pension needs;
(b) members with knowledge and experience of employers’ involvement in pensions;
(c) members with knowledge and experience of pensions from the pension providers;
(d) members with knowledge and experience of pensions from the relevant regulators.’.
Amendment No. 15, in schedule 6, page 55, line 30, leave out ‘or other’.
Amendment No. 82, in schedule 6, page 56, line 26, leave out sub-paragraph (2).
Amendment No. 45, in schedule 6, page 59, line 7, at end insert—
‘(2) The Authority shall establish a committee for the purpose of representing scheme member and prospective scheme member interests, which shall be chaired by a consumer representative.’.
Amendment No. 14, in schedule 6, page 59, line 20, at end insert—
‘10A (1) The Authority must establish a committee for the purpose of representing the interests of scheme members and prospective scheme members.
(2) The chairman of the committee must be a consumer representative appointed under paragraphs 1(1)(b) and 1(3A).’.
That schedule 6 be the Sixth schedule to the Bill.
New clause 5—Application of Freedom of Information Act to Personal Accounts Delivery Authority—
‘(1) The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36) is amended as follows.
(2) In section 35 (formulation of government policy etc.) insert after subsection (2)—
“(2A) Information held by or provided by the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority is not to be regarded—
(a) for the purposes of subsection (1)(a), as relating to the formulation or development of government policy, or
(b) for the purposes of subsection (1)(b), as relating to Ministerial communications.”
(3) In section 36 (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) insert after subsection (2)—
“(2A) Information held by or provided by the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority is not be to regarded—
(a) for the purposes of subsection (2)(a), as relating to the maintenance of the convention of the collective responsibility of Ministers of the Crown, or
(b) for the purposes of subsection (2)(b), as relating to the free and frank provision of advice, or the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation; or
(c) for the purposes of subsection (2)(c), as relating to the effective conduct of public affairs.”.’.