Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Virgin Media v NTL Pension Trustees Ltd on the pension market.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
While we recognise that the judgment could result in uncertainty for schemes and members, the impact on individual schemes and their members will vary.
We are actively considering our next steps.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence has no current plans to make an estimate of the kind described. In a competitive age, our advantage derives from the talent and skills of our people. Attracting, recruiting, and retaining the best people drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background is mission critical to our operational effectiveness. People that think differently provide alternative solutions to complex problems and reduce the risk of groupthink and lack of challenge. The reason we seek to increase our diversity levels is to make us more effective at closing with and defeating the enemy, should we be required to do so.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has not estimated the potential impact on annual staff costs in the department of abolishing Diversity, Equality and Inclusion roles.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activity and staffing requirements is decided by departments as the employer. DWP is committed to being an inclusive employer and is committed to creating an environment where everyone belongs and can be at their best, and our workforce is representative of the customers and communities that we serve.
DWP has not made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles on annual staffing costs. The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 (as well as the 2025-2030 strategy under development) underscores the importance of EDI in supporting the delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change. The strategy highlights the need for a diverse workforce to drive performance and innovation.
The Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure guidance, published in May 2024 under the previous government, states:
Internal Efficiency Measures
18. Internal measures are important to promote efficient and effective EDI practice, which aligns to Government priorities. To ensure EDI spend in the Civil Service is commensurate with agreed organisational priorities the following measures must be considered:
c. Incorporate standalone EDI staffing roles into broader HR: The responsibility for EDI delivery should be embedded into HR professionals’ broader accountabilities. The CS D&I Strategy frames an approach where diversity and inclusion is not an end in itself, but an integral means of delivering better outcomes for our citizens. To deliver this, and move away from tokenistic, albeit well-intentioned actions, to produce truly transformative delivery our HR professionals are required to take ownership of EDI and focus the approach against the key areas of an employee lifecycle that make the biggest impact for all our people: recruitment, talent management, learning & development, leadership, culture and tackling bullying harassment and discrimination when it occurs.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not have any roles which focus solely on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance was issued on the 14th May 2024. The Cabinet Office complies with the guidance.
The Cabinet Office has not undertaken an estimate of the impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in the department on annual staff costs.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a pensions adequacy review.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government remains committed to shaping the pensions system to serve the interests of savers and pensioners to provide security in retirement. The State Pension is at the heart of that commitment, and it provides a sustainable foundation to support people’s individual savings for retirement. The Government has made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which means spending on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion, this will see pensioners’ yearly incomes being up to £1900 higher.
Also crucially, Automatic Enrolment (AE) has succeeded in transforming retirement saving with over 11 million employees having been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension since 2012. However, we know we need to do even more to build on the success of AE in getting people in to saving by ensuring security in retirement for all. This is a key focus of our landmark pensions review.
We must first start by boosting the returns members can get from their savings. The first phase of our review is focused on investment and growth with the twin objectives of increasing investment in the UK and delivering improved returns for savers. In November 2024 we published the interim report of this review with consultations on unlocking the UK pensions market for growth and reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme. These consultations closed in January, and we expect to provide our response in Spring 2025.
We also acknowledge the importance of addressing the broader question of adequacy and how to build on the success of AE to ensure that people are saving enough for retirement. Therefore, the second phase of the review will in due course look at further steps to improve pension outcomes, and pension adequacy for all.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans a review into pension adequacy.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government remains committed to shaping the pensions system to serve the interests of savers and pensioners to provide security in retirement. The State Pension is at the heart of that commitment, and it provides a sustainable foundation to support people’s individual savings for retirement. The Government has made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which means spending on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion, this will see pensioners’ yearly incomes being up to £1900 higher.
Also crucially, Automatic Enrolment (AE) has succeeded in transforming retirement saving with over 11 million employees having been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension since 2012. However, we know we need to do even more to build on the success of AE in getting people in to saving by ensuring security in retirement for all. This is a key focus of our landmark pensions review.
We must first start by boosting the returns members can get from their savings. The first phase of our review is focused on investment and growth with the twin objectives of increasing investment in the UK and delivering improved returns for savers. In November 2024 we published the interim report of this review with consultations on unlocking the UK pensions market for growth and reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme. These consultations closed in January, and we expect to provide our response in Spring 2025.
We also acknowledge the importance of addressing the broader question of adequacy and how to build on the success of AE to ensure that people are saving enough for retirement. Therefore, the second phase of the review will in due course look at further steps to improve pension outcomes, and pension adequacy for all.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Pension Protection Fund levy.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Board of the Pension Protection Fund is responsible for setting the levy and consults on its levy rules annually. In view of the Pension Protection Fund’s strong financial position, the Board has announced that it expects to be able to significantly reduce the pension protection levy it charges in the coming years without risking its ability to pay its members’ compensation.
The Government has announced that it will consider giving the Board of the Pension Protection Fund greater flexibility to adjust the annual pension protection levy it collects from private sector occupational DB pension schemes, when it is not required. We will set out more detail in due course.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
No such estimate has been made, but I would refer the Hon Member to the Cabinet Office guidance on the Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure, published under the previous government in May 2024, which states:
Internal Efficiency Measures
18. Internal measures are important to promote efficient and effective EDI practice, which aligns to Government priorities. To ensure EDI spend in the Civil Service is commensurate with agreed organisational priorities the following measures must be considered:
c. Incorporate standalone EDI staffing roles into broader HR: The responsibility for EDI delivery should be embedded into HR professionals’ broader accountabilities. The CS D&I Strategy frames an approach where diversity and inclusion is not an end in itself, but an integral means of delivering better outcomes for our citizens. To deliver this, and move away from tokenistic, albeit well-intentioned actions, to produce truly transformative delivery our HR professionals are required to take ownership of EDI and focus the approach against the key areas of an employee lifecycle that make the biggest impact for all our people: recruitment, talent management, learning & development, leadership, culture and tackling bullying harassment and discrimination when it occurs.