Schedule 1
Pensions Bill
3:47 pm
Danny Alexander (Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Work & Pensions; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Liberal Democrat)
As the hon. Member for Eastbourne has observed, this is an issue that I am interested to pursue. The amendment usefully serves to probe the Minister’s intentions.
As the hon. Gentleman said, the Minister will no doubt answer that all members of the trustee corporation will, in some sense, be there to represent the members. However, the amendment relates to clause 52(4), which we debated earlier, which says:
“The functions of the members’ panel may include nominating individuals to be members of the trustee corporation.”
I suspect that the group of people who are referred to in the amendment are there not because every member of the trustee corporation should be helping to manage the scheme on behalf of its members, but so that that there are representatives on the trustee corporation who are nominated directly by members, groups representing members and, perhaps, the members’ panel. The point that is being made is important. I hope that the Minister will either agree to the amendment or a similar measure, or that he will at least make clear how he wants to ensure that the members are appointed. If there is not to be such a provision in the Bill, how will we ensure that such a practice goes forward?