Pensions Bill Committee announce evidence programme
25 June 2013 (updated on 25 June 2013)
The House of Commons Public Bill Committee considering the Government's Pensions Bill will hear oral evidence on Tuesday 25 June and Thursday 27 June 2013
The Committee will then consider the Bill every Tuesday and Thursday from that point, concluding on Thursday 11 July.
The provisional programme of witnesses for the Pensions Bill Committee has been agreed by its programming sub-committee.
Programme and witnesses
Tuesday 25 June - morning
Taking place in the Boothroyd Room in Portcullis House:
From c9.25am until no later than 10.15am:
- Age UK
c10.15am until no later than 11am
- Trades Union Congress
c11am until no later than 11.25pm
- Cruse Bereavement Care
- Childhood Bereavement Network
Tuesday 25 June - afternoon
Taking place in the Boothroyd Room in Portcullis House:
c2.45pm until no later than 3.15pm
- National Association of Pension Funds
- Association of British Insurers
c3.15pm until no later than 3.45pm
- The Pensions Regulator
c3.45pm until no later than 4.30pm
- Dr Ros Altmann
- Dr Hari Mann
Thursday 27 June - morning
Taking place in the Boothroyd Room in Portcullis House:
From c11.30am until no later than 12.30pm:
- Pensions Policy Institute
- Confederation of British Industry
- Which?
c12.30pm until no later than 1pm:
- The 700,000 Group
Thursday 27 June - afternoon
c2pm until no later than 2.45pm:
- Union Pension Services Limited
- Pensions Institute
c2.45pm until no later than 3.15pm:
- Baroness Hollis of Heigham
c3.15pm until no later than 4pm:
- Department for Work and Pensions
Line by line scrutiny of the Bill
Line by line scrutiny of the Bill will take place in Committee Room 12 in the Palace of Westminster on the follow days:
- Tuesday 2 July 9.25am and 2pm
- Thursday 4 July 11.30am and 2pm
- Tuesday 9 July 9.25am and 2pm
- Thursday 11 July 11.30am and 2pm
The Committee must complete consideration of the Bill no later than 5pm on Thursday 11 July.
These sessions will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis. There is no system for the prior reservation of seats in Committee Rooms.
It is advisable to allow about 20 minutes to pass through security checks. Timings and room numbers are subject to change.
Aims of the Pensions Bill
The main elements of the Bill, which covers England, Wales and Scotland, are to:
- Introduce a single-tier State Pension for future pensioners from 6 April 2016, combining the existing two tiers—the basic State Pension and State Second Pension;
- Bring forward the increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 to between 2026 and 2028, compared to between 2034 and 2036 in existing legislation; and, for the future, establish periodic reviews of the pension age in the light of changes in life expectancy and other relevant factors;
- Introduce a new Bereavement Support Payment to replace the existing system of bereavement benefits;
- Introduce reforms to the framework in which private pensions operate, including a new objective for the Pensions Regulator and a system of automatic transfers of small pension pots so that an individual’s pension would follow them when they change jobs.
Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documentation, including amendment papers, on the Pensions Bill and find out how a bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
Have your say on the Pensions Bill
Although the Committee will start hearing oral evidence on Tuesday 25 June, the Committee is still able to receive written evidence from those with relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Government’s Pensions Bill.
The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration. The Committee will stop receiving written evidence at the end of the Committee stage on Thursday 11 July 2013.
(When the Committee reports it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can report earlier than Thursday 11 July).
Further Information
The Scrutiny Unit can help with any queries about oral evidence.