House of Commons Public Bill Committee Proceedings

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Session 2006 - 07
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Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 8th February 2007
34

Pensions Bill, continued

“(2A)
A person’s gross earnings from all sources shall be aggregated when

determining whether an individual is above the lower earnings limit.”.’.

Linking the introduction of uprating the basic state pension in line with earnings and the

increase in the state pension age

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Not called  nc19

To move the following Clause:—

‘For each additional year after 2012 that retirement pensions referred to in section

23A(1)(b) of SSCBA (inserted by section 3 of this Act) are not uprated in line

with the general level of earnings as defined in section 150A(2) of the

Administration Act (inserted by section 5(2) of this Act) the increase in state

pension age shall be delayed by an additional year.’.

Report on older workers not paying or being credited with National Insurance

contributions

Mr Nigel Waterson

Andrew Selous

Mr Mark Lancaster

Negatived on division  NC21

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall present a report annually to the House of

Commons—

(a)
analysing, by local authority area and by job sector, the number and

distribution of people over 60 seeking work and not being credited with

contribution credits, and

(b)
on the training opportunities for people seeking to increase the number of

their qualifying years for receipt of a full Basic State Pension.’.

Commission on public sector pensions

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Negatived on division  NC22

To move the following Clause:—

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 8th February 2007
35

Pensions Bill, continued

‘The Secretary of State shall establish an independent commission to evaluate the

future terms, benefits and financing of public sector pensions.’.

Entitlement to a Basic State Pension

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Not called  NC23

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall prepare a report on those groups reaching state

pension age in 2010 who will not be eligible for a full Basic State Pension.’.

Independent Pensions Commission

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Not called  NC24

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State must, no later than 1st January 2010, establish an

independent Pensions Commission to—

(a)
advise the Government on affordability issues in relation to state pension

provision and the state pension age,

(b)
conduct and publish gender, carer and state pension coverage impact

assessment annually, and

(c)
publish annual projections of the proportion of pensioners facing

different withdrawal rates.’.

Job opportunities for workers over state pension age

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Not called  NC25

To move the following Clause:—

‘Before any increase in the State Pension age the Secretary of State shall publish

a report on improved training packages and flexible job opportunities for workers

over 55 years of age.’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 8th February 2007
36

Pensions Bill, continued

Combined pensions forecasts

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Withdrawn  NC26

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall publish proposals, no later than 1st April 2008, for

the delivery of accurate combined pensions forecasts.’.

Pension credit disregard

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Withdrawn  NC27

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall bring forward a report, no later than 1st April 2008,

on the labour market disincentive effects of the operation of the Pension Credit

system, for people over entitlement age for Pension Credit, in employment.’.

Removal of overlap between carers’ allowance and state retirement pension

Ms Sally Keeble

Withdrawn  NC28

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State must make regulations to amend the Social Security

(Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1979 (S.I., 1979, No. 597) which will have

the effect of removing the overlap between carers’ allowance and state retirement

pension.’.

Category A and B retirement pensions: contribution condition

Ms Sally Keeble

Not called  NC29

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
Schedule 3 to the SSCBA (contribution conditions) is amended as follows.

(2)
In paragraph 5—

(a)
delete sub-paragraph (2);

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 8th February 2007
37

Pensions Bill, continued

(b)
in sub-paragraph (3) delete the words “The second condition is that” and,

for the words “the requisite number of” in sub-paragraph (3)(a),

substitute “30”; and

(c)
delete sub-paragraphs (5) to (8) inclusive and insert the following sub-

paragraph—

“(4A)
Regulations may modify sub-paragraph (3) above for the

purposes of its application in a case where—

(a)
the contributor concerned has paid, or been credited

with, contributions, or

(b)
contributions have been deemed to be, or treated as, paid

by or credited to him,


under the National Insurance Act 1946 or the National Insurance Act

1965.”.’.

Widowed parent’s allowance and bereavement allowance

Ms Sally Keeble

Not called  NC30

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
Schedule 3 to the SSCBA (contribution conditions) is amended as follows.

(2)
After paragraph 5A (inserted by section 1(3) of this Act) insert—

“5B(1)
This paragraph applies to a widowed parent’s allowance or

bereavement allowance in a case where the contributor concerned dies

on or after 6th April 2010.

      (2)
Paragraphs 5A(2) to 5A(4) of this Schedule shall apply to an

allowance to which this paragraph applies as if it were a Category A

or Category B retirement pension.”.’.

Report on tax relief on pensions

Mr David Laws

Lorely Burt

Withdrawn  nc31

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall, not later than 1st April 2008, prepare and publish a

report on tax relief on pension contributions, namely—

(a)
the annual cost to the Treasury of those reliefs, including projections for

the following five tax years, and

(b)
the extent to which the existing tax relief on pensions is, in his opinion—

(i)
economic,

(ii)
properly focussed, and

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 8th February 2007
38

Pensions Bill, continued

(iii)
comprehensible.’.

James Purnell

Agreed to

That certain written evidence already reported to the House be appended to the proceedings of

the Committee.

Bill, as amended, to be reported.