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Postal Services Bill [HL]

The three amendments in this group are obviously linked, and lead to the final one, which is to add something to the end of line 27. I shall skirt round the fact that the first amendment simply leaves out "and" and the second amendment inserts "and". The main amendment is to insert proposed new paragraph (d), which I thought would have been dealt with previously when we discussed additional voluntary contributions. In fact, I was surprised when it did not appear in the group with Amendment 39. The amendment seeks to, ""include provision for the payment of additional voluntary contributions by members in pensionable service under the RMPP for the purpose of acquiring additional periods of pensionable service"." This does not require me to rehearse all that I said when we discussed AVCs. However, I make the point again that AVCs, properly explained and properly marketed—if that is the right word—can be of great benefit to people who might end their working life with a not overly generous pension scheme. Even under the new public scheme, the benefits and structure will probably be the same. It is a long time since we had the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme as a non-contributory scheme for post office workers, but here we are. We have another chance to put in something about additional voluntary contributions. I beg to move.