Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will introduce a statutory fuel finder scheme as recommended by the Competition and Markets Authority's Road Fuel Market Study.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government welcomes the CMA’s work to investigate fuel prices and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to bring forward proposals relating to the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme to (a) reform the surplus sharing arrangements and (b) transfer the Investment Reserve Fund to scheme members.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Work has already started across Government to deliver on our manifesto commitments. I will be meeting the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees shortly to discuss the best way to deliver our commitments.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2024 to Question 25469 on Mineworkers' Pension Scheme, how many recipients there are in each region of the UK.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The number of scheme members by region, as at July 2023, is as follows:
Name of Region | Number of members |
Channel Islands | 8 |
East Midlands | 29641 |
East of England | 490 |
Isle of Man | 4 |
London | 194 |
North East | 15917 |
North West | 4901 |
Scotland | 8269 |
South East | 1791 |
South West | 908 |
Wales | 13838 |
West Midlands | 9461 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 30510 |
A breakdown by region of former miners and dependants is not available.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2023 to Question 1095 on Mineworkers' Pension Scheme, if she will take steps to calculate how many of the 23,974 spouse/dependant pensioners in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme reside in (a) Easington constituency and (b) the North East.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The breakdown of dependant members by constituency is not available. It would be for the Trustees to take steps to calculate this figure. As at June 2023, the total number of MPS members in Easington was 3563 and in the North East was 15,917.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many former employees were recipients of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in (a) Easington constituency and (b) the UK in May 2024.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The total number of BCSSS members in Easington was 732 as at June 2023. The number of former employees in BCSSS in the UK in May 2024 was 28,437. The breakdown of scheme members (i.e. former employees and dependants) by constituency is not available.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much revenue the Exchequer has received from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Fund since 1994.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government has received £3.1bn for its role as Guarantor from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average cost of fees is for a recipient of a pension through the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
In the year to September 2023, Scheme expenses totalled £36m. The number of members in receipt of a pension at 30 September 2023 is 112,057. Therefore, the cost of scheme expenses per member in receipt of a pension is £321.27.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2024 to Question 25469, how many of the (a) former miners and (b) widows of former miners receiving a Mineworkers' Pension Scheme pension are aged (i) over 90, (ii) 80 to 89, (iii) 70 to 79, (iv) 60 to 69, and (v) below 60 years of age.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The breakdown by age of former miners in receipt of pensions and dependents at 30 September 2023 is as follows:
Age | Former Miners in receipt of a pension | Dependents | |
| 6259 |
| |
60-69 | 37513 | 3500 | |
70-79 | 27157 | 6239 | |
80-89 | 14133 | 8982 | |
90+ | 2959 | 3876 |
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many former miners are not yet eligible to receive their mineworkers' pension.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
There are currently 34 members who are not in receipt of a pension and are under age 50 and therefore not yet eligible to receive their MPS pension.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) former miners and (b) former miners' widows are in receipt of a mineworkers' pension.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
As at 31 March 2024, the number of former miners in receipt of a Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme pension is 86,032 and the number of former miners’ widows/dependants in receipt of a pension is 23,253.