Clause 18
Pensions Bill
11:45 am
Paul Rowen (Shadow Minister, Work & Pensions; Rochdale, Liberal Democrat)
We have had a very good and important debate on this. I understand the assurances the Minister has given and the steps that have been taken in the run-up to this Bill to try and reduce the possibility of levelling down. I accept his point about the vast majority of people being better off, and I also accept that the DWP commissions a range of research. The problem is—and the hon. Member for Eastbourne went through this very eloquently—when you compare the DWP’s research with what others say, there is clearly a discrepancy.
I accept that we will never know the genuine position until we get to the starting gate. Nevertheless, I think the amendment ensures a proper reporting mechanism: not just research, not just something that may or may not be done, but something that has statutorily to be carried out. I believe that is the best safeguard for ensuring that, in this situation whereby, as the hon. Member for Bromsgrove said, what people say and what people do are not necessarily always the same thing, we get an actual report of what they are doing. It is neither optimistic nor pessimistic; it is saying, “there are so many schemes, x per cent. of those opted to level down; x per cent. stayed the same”. That is the sort of report that I believe and that gives a concrete certainty, so I shall have to disagree with the Minister on this particular occasion and press the amendment.