Treasury – in the House of Commons at on 1 July 2025.
Nick Smith
Chair, Administration Committee, Chair, Administration Committee
What recent discussions her Department has had with the trustees of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme.
Darren Jones
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury
My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry recently met the trustees of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme to consider their proposals, and I have been monitoring the developments closely.
Nick Smith
Chair, Administration Committee, Chair, Administration Committee
I thank the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his answer. Last weekend I attended the anniversary of the Six Bells mining disaster in 1960, in which 45 men and boys died. I met Mervyn Frampton, whose brother Keith was killed in that tragedy. Mervyn is 90 now, and we talked about when he and his butties powered our country and were members of the British Coal staff pension scheme. Will my right hon. Friend please be mindful of those who risked their lives for us, and who are still owed pension fair play?
Darren Jones
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury
I thank my hon. Friend for his question, and I extend the thoughts of the House to his constituents and the communities that he represents. He will know that I have always kept the service and sacrifices of the mining communities in my mind, both in Opposition when campaigning for changes to the mineworkers’ pension scheme, which this Government implemented at the last Budget, and now in considering proposals from the BCSSS. I will be looking at those issues in more detail over the summer, and I hope to say more in the autumn.
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