Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the future cost to the public purse in the (a) short term and (b) long term in relation to the Natural Environment Research Council and British Antarctic Survey’s role as a sponsoring employer of the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund pension scheme.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) no longer have any employees enrolled in the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund Scheme. There are no anticipated upcoming costs to these organisations related to this scheme with their share of the fund’s future deficit having been paid in full. As there are no active members of the scheme who are current employees of NERC or BAS an estimate cannot be made of entitlements as records of current pensions scheme memberships are not held.