Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much he has allocated to the Home Office for 2019-20 to cover changes in relation to quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Budget allocated extra funding to the reserve for 2019-20 to cover an expected £4.7 billion of unforeseen additional costs arising from the ongoing valuations of public service pension schemes. The Treasury is currently working with departments to confirm departmental allocations of this funding.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2018 to Question 186391 on Public Sector: Pensions, when the Government's Actuary Department completed its analysis of the police service pension scheme which led to the revaluations communicated in the Statement of 6 September 2018 on quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As set out in my written statement HCWS945 and in my Answer of 31 October 2018 to Question 186391, the actuarial valuation of the scheme, carried out by the Government Actuary's Department, is ongoing. The statement set out proposed amendments to the directions to be used in the valuations. The Government Actuary's Department is undertaking ongoing valuations based on these directions. The final directions will be published before the end of the year.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional resources for policing have been requested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As the Chancellor announced at Budget 2018, an additional £500 million will be made available to allow departments and the devolved administrations to continue to prepare for EU exit, taking the total for 2019/20 to £2 billion. As a result of this announcement, the Treasury will have invested over £4 billion in EU exit since 2016.
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with all of the devolved administrations on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including EU exit. We are working collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to assess the resource requirements of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Allocations from the £2 billion to departments and the devolved administrations will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times his Department has met with representatives of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to discuss resource requirements for policing after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As the Chancellor announced at Budget 2018, an additional £500 million will be made available to allow departments and the devolved administrations to continue to prepare for EU exit, taking the total for 2019/20 to £2 billion. As a result of this announcement, the Treasury will have invested over £4 billion in EU exit since 2016.
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with all of the devolved administrations on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including EU exit. We are working collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to assess the resource requirements of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Allocations from the £2 billion to departments and the devolved administrations will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland on resources for policing after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
As the Chancellor announced at Budget 2018, an additional £500 million will be made available to allow departments and the devolved administrations to continue to prepare for EU exit, taking the total for 2019/20 to £2 billion. As a result of this announcement, the Treasury will have invested over £4 billion in EU exit since 2016.
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with all of the devolved administrations on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including EU exit. We are working collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to assess the resource requirements of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Allocations from the £2 billion to departments and the devolved administrations will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2018 to Question 184429 on Public Sector: Pensions, whether the effect on budges of the previously envisaged cost was communicated to police forces in advance of the Written Statement of 6 September 2018 on quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Budget 2016 identified expected pressures on employer contributions to public service pensions of £2 billion. The Home Office communicated with the National Police Chiefs Council on the issue shortly after Budget 2016, explaining the need to consider the matter within the wider context of the imminent scheme valuation. The scheme valuation, carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department, is ongoing. Budget 2018 confirmed additional funding for expected costs in excess of the level envisaged at Budget 2016. Government will review police spending power and further options for reform at the provisional police funding settlement in December.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 24 of Budget 2018, how much funding from the reserves for additional pension costs for Departments as a result of the pensions valuations process he plans to allocate to policing in 2019-20.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
At Budget 2016 we identified likely pressures on employer contributions to public service pensions of £2 billion and set out that these costs would need to be met within existing budgets. The valuations indicate that there will be additional costs to employers, above the level previously envisaged. The Budget confirms that additional funding of £4.7 billion has been allocated to the reserve to cover these expected additional costs.
As the Chancellor said in his Budget speech, the Home Secretary will review police spending power and further options for reform when he presents the provisional police funding settlement in December.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department completed the quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes; and when the change in cost was communicated to police forces.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The current quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes are ongoing. At Budget 2016 we identified likely pressures on employer contributions to public service pensions of £2 billion. The valuations indicate that there will be additional costs to employers, above the level previously envisaged. The Budget confirms that additional funding of £4.7 billion has been allocated to the reserve to cover these expected additional costs.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department first notified police forces of the timeline for the implementation of changes to quadrennial valuations of the public service pension schemes.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The valuations of public service pension schemes are undertaken in accordance with the framework set out under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, secondary legislation and HM Treasury directions. The timeline for the implementation of the quadrennial valuations was set out in The Public Service Pensions (Valuations and Employer Cost Cap) Directions 2014, on 11 March 2014.
At Budget 2016 we identified likely pressures on employer contributions to public service pensions of £2 billion and set out that these costs would need to be met within existing budgets. The valuations indicate that there will be additional costs to employers, above the level previously envisaged. The Budget confirms that additional funding of £4.7 billion has been allocated to the reserve to cover these expected additional costs.
As the Chancellor said in his Budget speech, the Home Secretary will review police spending power and further options for reform when he presents the provisional police funding settlement in December.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received from police forces on changes to police pension contributions.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Treasury has received representations from a number of employer organisations, including bodies representing police forces, subsequent to my Written Ministerial Statement of 6 September announcing the draft amending directions for the 4-yearly valuations of Public Service Pension Schemes. The finalised directions will be published later this year.
Representations have included comments on potential changes to pension contributions.