Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 14
Sixth Report - Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme
Published 29 Apr 2021
Paragraph 63
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Mineworkers' Pension Scheme All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Whilst we have called for the 50:50 split to be replaced with a more appropriate arrangement moving forward, we believe pensioners should also receive a more immediate uplift. We recommend that the Government hands the £1.2bn it is due to receive from the Investment Reserve back to miners, and sets out its proposals for how and when this will be administered in response to this report.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Sixth Report - Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (HC 1346), paragraph 63, 29 April 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 July 2021 (deadline 29 June 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government states it is "unable to agree to the Committee's recommendations" and continues to believe the 1994 arrangement "was fair and beneficial to both Scheme members and taxpayers".
- It does not accept that it has benefitted unduly, saying the arrangements "have been a success and benefitted all parties".
- It does not accept that the Trustees had no choice in 1994, noting they "could have declined the offer of the guarantee at that time".
- On changing the terms, it says BEIS Ministers "would be happy to have that discussion" if the Trustees want to leave the guarantee arrangements, but notes the Trustees have indicated the guarantee is worth more than the share of surpluses.
- It is "happy to consider ways to improve benefits", but says this "has to be weighed against the risks to taxpayers". It states that receipts go to the Exchequer and were never intended to be ringfenced for members or coalfield communities.