Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities are able to prevent new employees from joining the Local Government Pension Scheme.

It is unlawful for local authorities to prevent their new employees from joining the Local Government Pension Scheme. Local authorities are scheduled bodies, as defined by part 1 of Schedule 2 of the LGPS Regulations 2013, and scheduled bodies must offer the LGPS to directly employed staff.