PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES - United Kingdom Parliament

83WS
Written Ministerial Statements
26 MARCH 2013
Written Ministerial Statements
84WS
Achieve a satisfaction rating among certification service
customers of at least 95% for customers scoring satisfied or
above, with at least 60% scoring “very satisfied”.
Achieve an increase in income of at least 5% for certification
services from the 2012-13 financial year.
Generate at least a positive 3:1 net contribution to consumers
and the environment as well as the low-carbon economy
through the activities of the enforcement authority.
Reduce non-ring-fenced administration costs by at least 14%
in cash terms over the corporate plan period 2011-12 to
2014-15.
Ensure that reduced contributions from BIS towards overheads
are absorbed without any increase in per capita overhead
rate.
Reduce NPL energy consumption in 2013 calendar year by
5% from 2012 calendar year.
Agree by 31 March 2014 the partners who will work with
Government on NPL and the model under which the partnership
will operate post-March 2014.
Low Pay Commission
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills (Jo Swinson): On 10 July 2012 the
Minister of State, Department of Health, my hon.
Friend the Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb),
former Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer
and Postal Affairs announced the commencement of
the triennial review of the Low Pay Commission (LPC).
I am now pleased to announce the completion of the
review.
The Low Pay Commission is a statutory body which
plays an important role providing independent advice
to Government about the national minimum wage.
The review concludes that the functions performed
by the Low Pay Commission are still required and that
it should be retained as an advisory non-departmental
public body (NDPB). The review also looked at the
governance arrangements for LPC in line with guidance
on good corporate governance set out by the Cabinet
Office. The report makes some recommendations in this
respect; these will be implemented shortly.
The full report of the review of the LPC can be found
on the Gov.uk website and copies have been placed in
the Libraries of both Houses.
CABINET OFFICE
Ministerial Pensions
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster
General (Mr Francis Maude): In the spending review
2010, the Government announced their intention to
increase employee contributions in public service pension
schemes. This followed on from Lord Hutton’s interim
report on public service pensions 1 which concluded that
there was a clear rationale for public servants to make a
greater contribution if their pensions were to remain
fair to taxpayers and employees and affordable for the
country.
The ministerial pension scheme was not covered by
Lord Hutton’s recommendations, but I consider it
appropriate that its members face similar changes.
In 2012-13 pension contributions were increased in a
similar way as applied to other public service pension
schemes, and further increases for 2013-14 will apply
from 1 April 2013. This will mean that:
Secretaries of State, the Leader of the Opposition in the
Commons and Mr Speaker in the House of Lords will pay
an additional 2.4 percentage points of pay, and a total of
4.8% higher than 2011-12;
Ministers of State, the Government Chief Whip, the Leader
of the Opposition in the Lords, the Chairman of Committees
of the House of Lords and the Deputy Chairman of Committees
of the House of Lords will pay an additional 1.6 percentage
points of pay and a total of 3.2% higher than 2011-12; and
Parliamentary-Under Secretaries, the Government Whips
and Opposition Whips will pay an additional 1 percentage
point of pay and a total of 2% higher than 2011-12.
In line with other public service schemes, a further
consultation will take place on the contribution increases
for members of the ministerial pension scheme in 2014-15.
Before these increases are implemented, I will consider
any evidence of opt-outs from the scheme in line with
the Government’s commitment given by the Chief Secretary
to the Treasury.
Ministers in the House of Commons make separate
contributions towards their pensions as Members of
Parliament. Responsibility for the setting of pension
provision for MPs is the responsibility of the Independent
Parliamentary Standards Authority.
The details of the new scheme have been laid before
the House, along with a copy of the response to the
consultation from the Chairman of the Parliamentary
Contributory Pension Fund Trustees.
1
Independent Public Service Pensions Commission: Interim
Report 7 October 2010. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
d/hutton_pensions.htm chapter 8.
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
2014 Local Elections
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government (Brandon Lewis):
Elections to the European Parliament will be held in the
spring of 2014 and are currently scheduled to be held
on 5-8 June, unless the Council of the European Union
unanimously acts to change the date. In order to
accommodate the Pentecost holiday in 2014, the Council
has proposed moving the date of the 2014 European
parliamentary elections to 22-25 May. The European
Parliament will be consulted on this amendment before
the Council formally adopts a decision to change the
dates, which will mean that for the United Kingdom
elections to the European Parliament would be held on
Thursday 22 May. Local elections are currently due to
be held on Thursday 1 May. This would potentially
mean two sets of elections taking place within three
weeks of each other.
Given this, I am today publishing a consultation
document inviting views about moving the date of the
local elections from 1 May 2014. The document is