Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme

Debate between Wayne David and Gloria De Piero

Thursday 14th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Gloria De Piero (Ashfield) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley East (Stephanie Peacock) for securing the debate, for her excellent speech and for the opportunity to speak very briefly on an issue that I am extremely passionate about. Many of us are now familiar with the shocking headline figures behind the mineworkers’ pension scheme story. The Government have received nearly £4.5 billion from the MPS since 1994. They have never had to pay a penny into the scheme in their role as guarantor and they are still pocketing in the region of £142 million a year. Those figures do not even include any moneys that they have received from the other coal pension scheme—the British Coal staff superannuation scheme, from which they have also made billions of pounds.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that what is absolutely fundamental is that at the time of privatisation, any surplus was envisaged as a safety net, not a cash cow for the Government?

[Gloria De Piero]

My hon. Friend absolutely hits the nail on the head.