Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 December 2011. It was answered by Robert Neill (Conservative) on Tuesday, 13 December 2011 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Local Government: Pensions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to improve employees' confidence in the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Answer: The Government's plans to reform public service pension schemes, including the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales, are intended to put in place new, good quality arrangements that are affordable, sustainable and fair to both taxpayers and to each schemes' members for the long-term. Developments taking place currently on several fronts within the scheme are intended to secure this important objective, including a statutory consultation exercise to secure fairly and progressively some £900 million savings in the scheme by 2014-15 and discussions with key business partners on longer term reforms, following Lord Hutton's recommendations to the Government earlier this year.

Secondary information