My Lords, I thank the Minister for his Answer, but there is no way that the offer can be considered fair. It cannot be justified as being in the shareholders’ interests. It does not mention that Aviva has its own small shareholder dealing service, for example. The gaps in shareholder protection that are allowing this cynical exploitation of vulnerable elderly people, who often received...
I have one further question. There are at least two issues at stake. First, the data protection legislation forced Aviva to send all the names and addresses of its shareholders on its register, even though this company wished to write to only a very small subsection of them. That is surely an issue for data protection legislation. Secondly, it is very difficult to understand how the courts...
What data is there on patients who have been or will be denied treatments that they would otherwise have had? Does the Minister have any estimate of the amount of revenue expected to be raised from this? Are there plans for proper exemptions for patients who are in desperate need of this type of medicine and who may well then not be able to access it?
My Lords, our country is in the grip of an extremism crisis. Whether it is left versus right, woke versus traditionalists, globalists versus nationalists, there is a growing prevalence of extremist rhetoric and activity, which is increasing social division. I will concentrate my brief contribution on the shocking rise in antisemitic rhetoric and violence, and I declare an interest as a proud...
To ask His Majesty’s Government what changes there will be in the new local government pension fund guidance in relation to (1) boycott or divestment activity, and (2) interaction with funds’ fiduciary duties.
I thank the Minister for her Answer. In that case, will the Government consider changing the potentially contradictory wording in the draft guidance sent to Local Government Pension Scheme administering authorities for a closed consultation on taking non-financial factors into account in their responsible investment, in case it could be exploited to drive divestment? Will she meet me and...
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Thurso. I pay tribute to him. He will be much missed by this House. His work on this Bill and in many other areas has been most welcome and helpful and his demeanour and the manner in which he has co-operated with us and with Ministers has been appreciated by everybody. I declare my interests as far as pensions are concerned. I am...
To ask His Majesty's Government what protections are in place in the UK to ensure bulk purchase annuities are guaranteed to pay the promised pensions for the rest of each member's life.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Financial Services Compensation Scheme is underwritten by any public body or Government department.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Financial Services Compensation Scheme would pay out 100 per cent of all life annuity or bulk purchase annuity contracts, in the event that the annuity company or its underwriters or reinsurers were to fail and become unable to do so.
To ask His Majesty's Government what risk analysis have they conducted, or asked regulators to conduct, to stress-test the payments currently expected from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, should one or more underwriter, reinsurer or supplier of life annuities or bulk purchase annuities become insolvent and be unable to meet all the long-term liabilities from its own resources; if...
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 3 March (HC Deb col 719), whether they still assess that the Palestinian Authority’s Grade 12 curriculum reforms demonstrated “considerable progress” in light of recent findings that newly issued Grade 12 textbooks continue to contain...
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 20 January (HC104985) and the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 3 March (HC Deb col 719), whether their assessment that the Palestinian Authority’s Grade 12...
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact on levels of investment in UK companies of (1) requiring at least 25 per cent of all new pension contributions to be invested in UK companies, and (2) restricting the ISA allowance to cover only investments in UK companies.
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact that imposing inheritance tax on unused pensions will have on (1) the number of people aged 50–69 who withdraw money from their pension funds, (2) the adequacy of pension provision for younger people, and (3) the investment policy choices made by holders of defined contribution pensions and draw-down funds in later life.
