---

Pensions Bill

I start by saying that I am delighted to see the noble Baroness involved in this, as she has been involved so ably in lots of other pieces of legislation that we have debated recently. Clause 70 requires the authority to consider a number of guiding principles in carrying out its work; these principles provide the framework within which the authority will undertake its functions and deliver its objectives. I fully agree with noble Lords that the interests of future members are of central importance in the set up of personal accounts. The principles and other measures in this Bill provide a focus for the design of the personal accounts scheme. That focus is on moderate to low earners without access to good-quality workplace pension provision. The principles and other measures in this Bill already ensure that the authority takes account of those core matters which will be important to the prospective members of the scheme—those in the target group. This is why there are principles covering the need to encourage and facilitate participation, minimise costs, take account of members’ preferences in making decisions about investment choice, and respect diversity. All these matters are likely to be of prime concern to potential members of the scheme. However, noble Lords should keep in mind that the authority is designing and setting up the scheme as an integral part of our wider ambitions for these reforms. The personal accounts scheme is being designed to fill a gap in the current pensions market and will complement, rather than replace or undermine, other good-quality pension provision. While the interests of prospective members of the scheme are important, they are not the only consideration. The authority must also have regard to those other matters that are fundamental to the success of the reforms. Those include, for example, the impact on employers and on the broader pensions industry. I cannot, therefore, agree that the authority should have one overriding duty. It is vital that the authority gets the balance right between the needs of the personal accounts scheme and its future members, the overall impact on employers and the impact on the broader pension industry—including members and prospective members of other qualifying pension schemes. The authority has established a consumer representative committee and has launched an extensive strategic and targeted customer insight and research programme. These measures will ensure that it has an accurate understanding of the needs of those who are likely to be members of the scheme, and that relevant processes are thoroughly tested. Finally, on the point about members’ interests after 2012, I remind Members of the Committee that, once the scheme is operating, the trustee corporation, as with any other trust-based scheme, will have a duty to act in members’ best interests. I hope that that has helped the noble Baroness. It is not simply a matter of the authority complying or not with the principles. Clause 70 requires the authority to have regard to the principles as it carries out its functions under Clause 69. It cannot choose to not comply with one or more of the principles. Its statutory duty will be to have regard to the matters articulated by the principles in everything that it does. Inevitably, in considering the principles, there will at times be competing priorities. However, the authority will need to balance and make judgments across the set of principles to reach conclusions that can provide the best solution in the circumstances. Depending on the matter under consideration, the authority may have good reason to give one particular principle more sway than others, but this is not the same as saying that it has not complied with the principles. I hope that, with that further explanation, the noble Baroness will be satisfied and feel able to withdraw her amendment, and I hope that it also satisfies my noble friend Lady Turner.