---

Pensions Bill

My Lords, I support the amendment. I am grateful to the noble Baroness for reminding us of the nonsense to which we were treated by the Minister in Committee. I find this quite extraordinary. I am not just saying that as someone who has quite a lot of private sector experience; I also refer to how public sector bodies work. For example, at the Pension Protection Fund, we meet the people, the chairman, the chief executive. What is the difference? What is the problem? Even if we call it primus inter pares—the idea that the chair is no different in any way from the rest of the board members, even if they have a vote—it is just basic good manners that the Secretary of State should consult the chair before making the other appointments. I cannot understand why this is being resisted. It does not seem to apply even to other DWP-sponsored bodies that we deal with. I just hope that the Minister might say, ““Actually, we have got it wrong, let’s just do it””.