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1436915

registered interest
date	01/03/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there are legal barriers to pension schemes providing a range of contribution and benefit options to beneficiaries in order to maintain uptake of the pension scheme.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	132302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2022 answer text <p>Employers are responsible for choosing a pension scheme that is suitable for them and their employees. There are minimum standards for automatic enrolment and requirements for equal treatment – but there is scope for a huge variety of scheme design in the pensions market, in terms of structuring contributions and benefits offered.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 07/03/2022 14:31:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1436621

registered interest
date	28/02/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to encourage early re-evaluations of pension schemes in response to rising inflation and rising costs of living.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	131234
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2022 answer text <p>The Department does not assess the funding of individual defined benefit pension schemes. Trustees are required to undertake actuarial valuations at least every three years and agree an appropriate recovery plan where there is a funding deficit. Trustees can undertake valuations more frequently to assess a scheme’s funding position in the light of economic changes. The UK has a robust regime for the funding of defined benefit pension schemes, which effectively balances member security and employer affordability. Provisions in the Pensions Act 2021 will strengthen this regime by requiring trustees to have a funding and investment strategy to ensure pensions can be provided over the long term. The Pensions Regulator oversees the funding regime for defined benefit pension schemes and has statutory objectives to protect members’ benefits, and to minimise any adverse impact on the sustainable growth of the employer.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 131233 131235 question first answered 03/03/2022 12:47:28 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1436628

registered interest
date	28/02/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Pensions Regulator effectively balances risks in respect of the viability of pension schemes, including benefits, scheme member priorities and tackling historic deficits.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	131235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2022 answer text <p>The Department does not assess the funding of individual defined benefit pension schemes. Trustees are required to undertake actuarial valuations at least every three years and agree an appropriate recovery plan where there is a funding deficit. Trustees can undertake valuations more frequently to assess a scheme’s funding position in the light of economic changes. The UK has a robust regime for the funding of defined benefit pension schemes, which effectively balances member security and employer affordability. Provisions in the Pensions Act 2021 will strengthen this regime by requiring trustees to have a funding and investment strategy to ensure pensions can be provided over the long term. The Pensions Regulator oversees the funding regime for defined benefit pension schemes and has statutory objectives to protect members’ benefits, and to minimise any adverse impact on the sustainable growth of the employer.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 131233 131234 question first answered 03/03/2022 12:47:28 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1378510

registered interest
date	15/11/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to promote a sustainable pensions industry at COP26.
tabling member constituency	Enfield North
tabling member printed	Feryal Clark
uin	75161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2021 answer text <p>The UK leads the world on this issue. The UK was the first country in the world both to make climate disclosures in line with the Task Force on Climate- Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations mandatory for occupational pensions schemes, and to consult on measures to require pension schemes to measure and report their alignment with the Paris Agreement on climate change. Our work on ESG is recognised worldwide. DWP are also consulting on guidance for trustees to improve stewardship and voting which will be key to ensuring high-carbon assets transition to net zero.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State played a very active role in encouraging other countries and industry to follow this precedent and to commit to TCFD/Paris aligned reporting for their pension sector at COP26. The Secretary of State also introduced a session to focus on mobilising finance to fight climate change in emerging markets and developing countries, which will be crucial in the fight against climate change.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/11/2021 14:40:14 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4822 label Biography information for Feryal Clark

1365057

registered interest
date	01/11/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of transferring (a) workplace and (b) personal pensions overseas through a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS).
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	67229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2021 answer text <p>In the same way as transfers to UK pension schemes, a transfer to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) is covered by the requirement to take regulated financial advice if transferring more than £30,000 from a Defined Benefit scheme. This cost is a commercial matter for the firms and financial advisors who are subject to Financial Conduct Authority authorisation to conduct this activity, and who choose to provide the service.</p><p> </p><p>A transfer to a QROPS may also be subject to the overseas transfer charge (OTC). This is not a cost of transferring, it was introduced to limit the opportunities for tax avoidance so that the generous tax regimes of the UK and the tax rules of other countries cannot be manipulated to provide more relief than was intended. Whilst the Government keeps all policy under review there are no plans to make any changes to the overseas transfer charge at this time.</p><p> </p><p>Transfers to overseas schemes have been connected to pension scams in recent years and this is why HMRC requirements around QROPS were tightened in 2017. My department has been working alongside the FCA on regulations in relation to pension transfers, which aim to facilitate transfers to legitimate schemes while preventing transfers to scams.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 04/11/2021 14:25:08 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1353744

registered interest
date	08/09/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact on defined benefit pension scheme members' (a) costs and (b) returns of the decrease in the proportion of defined benefit pensions scheme assets invested in company equities and increase in the proportion invested in government debt over the period 2008 to 2020.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	45181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2021 answer text <p>It is for trustees to decide how funds in defined benefit (DB) occupational pension schemes are invested. They have a fiduciary duty to do so in the best interest of all their members. As most DB schemes are now closed, and the time available before benefits must be paid is reducing, a gradual shift towards investment in lower risk assets is to be expected.</p><p> </p><p>It is the responsibility of the sponsoring employer to fund the promised benefits in a DB scheme, and these are not dependent on investment performance.</p><p> </p><p>While DB provision has been in long term decline, since the introduction of Automatic Enrolment in 2012, defined contribution pension schemes have grown rapidly. As they are typically much less mature than DB schemes, they will tend to invest in higher proportions of return seeking assets such as equities. This Government is removing barriers to schemes investing directly in the UK economy through private markets, including by encouraging consolidation and requiring schemes to publish the net returns of their default arrangements.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 45182 question first answered 14/09/2021 16:12:21 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1353745

registered interest
date	08/09/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact on UK economic growth and economic productivity of the decrease in the proportion of defined benefit pensions scheme assets invested in company equities and increase in the proportion invested in government debt over the period 2008 to 2020.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	45182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2021 answer text <p>It is for trustees to decide how funds in defined benefit (DB) occupational pension schemes are invested. They have a fiduciary duty to do so in the best interest of all their members. As most DB schemes are now closed, and the time available before benefits must be paid is reducing, a gradual shift towards investment in lower risk assets is to be expected.</p><p> </p><p>It is the responsibility of the sponsoring employer to fund the promised benefits in a DB scheme, and these are not dependent on investment performance.</p><p> </p><p>While DB provision has been in long term decline, since the introduction of Automatic Enrolment in 2012, defined contribution pension schemes have grown rapidly. As they are typically much less mature than DB schemes, they will tend to invest in higher proportions of return seeking assets such as equities. This Government is removing barriers to schemes investing directly in the UK economy through private markets, including by encouraging consolidation and requiring schemes to publish the net returns of their default arrangements.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 45181 question first answered 14/09/2021 16:12:21 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1344215

registered interest
date	06/07/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to deploy additional staff to her Department’s Retirement Services Centre to help improve response times to pensions enquires.
tabling member constituency	North Ayrshire and Arran
tabling member printed	Patricia Gibson
uin	28236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2021 answer text <p>Between 5 July and 9 August 2021, DWP Retirement Services are recruiting 183 new members of staff to enhance our resources to work on our State Pension teams. This will enable us to continue to deliver the very best level of service to our customers.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 12/07/2021 13:11:22 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4435 label Biography information for Patricia Gibson

1283744

registered interest
date	03/02/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many arrangements the Pensions Regulator has made with pension schemes with a deficit in excess of £50 million since 2005; with which schemes any such arrangements have been made; and for each such scheme, (1) how the deficit was met, and (2) whether there was any difference in the reported deficit and that which had to be met.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL12969
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2021 answer text <p>The information requested on arrangements made by the Pensions Regulator is either not available, or could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott grouped question UIN HL12970 HL12971 question first answered 11/02/2021 12:22:04 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1283745

registered interest
date	03/02/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many arrangements the Pensions Regulator has made with pension schemes with a deficit in excess of £25 million but less than £50 million since 2005; with which schemes any such arrangements have been made; and for each such scheme, (1) how the deficit was met, and (2) whether there was any difference in the reported deficit and that which had to be met.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL12970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2021 answer text <p>The information requested on arrangements made by the Pensions Regulator is either not available, or could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott grouped question UIN HL12969 HL12971 question first answered 11/02/2021 12:22:04 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn