Part of Pensions Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 2:00 pm on 7 February 2008.
Danny Alexander
Liberal Democrat, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
2:00,
7 February 2008
I just want to echo one or two of the hon. Member for Eastbourne’s points because there is a package involved here. It was always the intention—particularly in the Turner package but also, as has been discussed, under the previous Pensions Bill—that the flat rating would very much be a development that would go alongside the uprating of the basic state pension in line with earnings.
As the explanatory notes make clear for this Clause, the reference year is expected to be 2012. It is expected, although not yet certain, that the uprating in line with earnings would start from 2012, but the Government have given themselves a degree of flexibility to change that so that it might be at any time up until during the next Parliament before that particular change commences.
We have argued from these Benches that the 2012 date is, in itself, too late; that improvement should start as soon as possible. However, if there is to be a clear sense that this particular measure is going to take effect from 2012 then, equally, it needs to be the case that the uprating in line with earnings, to match it alongside, is going to take place from 2012 as well. The Minister’s reassurance on that basic point, which is pretty fundamental to this part of the Bill, would be gratefully received by the Committee.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
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A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
