Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Rejected
Paragraph: 46
We recognise that the Government’s guarantee is important, has contributed to the success of the...
Conclusion
We recognise that the Government’s guarantee is important, has contributed to the success of the Scheme, and has benefitted Scheme members. However, we are not convinced by the Government’s argument that its entitlement to 50% of surpluses is proportionate to the relatively low degree of risk it actually faces in practice. The number of Scheme members and the relative size of the fund has fallen significantly since 1994. Yet, the Government’s ‘price’ for the guarantee has not been adjusted to reflect that fact. With no formal period review mechanism built into the agreement, pension members remain tied to an expensive arrangement.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government explicitly rejects the committee's conclusion, stating it continues to believe the 1994 arrangement for sharing surpluses in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme is fair and beneficial because the government has taken on all the risk.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
46
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
13. The Government recognises the harsh conditions in which coal miners worked and the health issues those conditions caused. At privatisation, the Government took on British Coal’s liabilities and has since compensated former miners and their families for the damage done to their health.
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