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Pensions Bill

I do not find the Minister’s response very satisfactory. Part of the problem is that the DWP now seems to see unscrupulous employers round every corner, which influences its attitude to the way in which the Bill will be approached. That is unfortunate, given that the vast majority of employers are, and wish to be, compliant. The notion of the unscrupulous, non-compliant employer has been raised several times this afternoon and it has permeated all the proceedings and explanations in another place. That is unfortunate. Let us take this case. The Minister is saying that if, for perfectly good reasons, the employer decides to shut one scheme and start another, he must positively enrol all employees even if one says, ““I have done pension saving. I am now 55 and don’t want to save””. Does the employer have to enrol that employee, who then has to opt out? Is the Minister really saying this because of the shadowy fear that there might be the odd unscrupulous employer who could not be caught by some other compliance mechanism?