Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost of the Emergency Alerts system is.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The total cost to date of developing the technical architecture and systems that underpin the emergency alert capability, in addition to the first three years of operational delivery, will be a maximum of £25.3 million.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191383 on Veterans: LGBT+ People, when he plans to publish the findings of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs and Ministry of Defence jointly commissioned an independent review to better understand the impacts and implications of the pre-2000 policy relating to LGBT people serving in HM Armed Forces.
Lord Etherton has concluded this work and submitted his report to the Government.
We are carefully considering the findings and, in line with the review’s terms of reference, shall publish the report and an initial Government response in due course.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to (a) create and (b) promote mutually supportive networks among LGBT+ veterans.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government is committed to ensuring that the service of every veteran is understood, valued and recognised.
My officials and I regularly meet organisations that have created networks for LGBT veterans, and I strongly support these initiatives.
In January 2022, we commissioned an Independent Review into the impact of the ban on LGBT personnel serving in the military, and we are currently considering the Review's findings.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) contracts and (b) sub-contracts (i) Government Departments, (ii) executive agencies and (iii) non-departmental public bodies hold with Infosys.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria does Civil Service Pension Scheme apply in implementing 59(A) Social Security Pensions Act (SSPA)1975, resulting in no reduction in public service pension.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Cabinet Office applies the provisions of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, including those set out in Section 59(5), to the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The responsibility for making Directions under the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 about when public service pension schemes should not deduct part or all of a Guaranteed Minimum Pension under section 59(5) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 before applying pension increases sits with HM Treasury.
Such provisions for the indexation of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions (GMPs) by public service pension schemes in specified circumstances are set out in Directions made by HM Treasury under section 59A of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975. Taken together with general provisions for indexing public service pensions under section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, read with the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971, these provide for the full indexation of GMPs earned as part of a public service pension in circumstances where those GMPs are not increased through the State Pension.
The latest Section 59A direction is available here: Treasury_Direction_30.03.2021_FINAL.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria does the Civil Service Pension Scheme apply in implementing 59(5) Social Security Pensions Act (SSPA) 1975, resulting in a reduction in public service pension.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Cabinet Office applies the provisions of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, including those set out in Section 59(5), to the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
The responsibility for making Directions under the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 about when public service pension schemes should not deduct part or all of a Guaranteed Minimum Pension under section 59(5) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 before applying pension increases sits with HM Treasury.
Such provisions for the indexation of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions (GMPs) by public service pension schemes in specified circumstances are set out in Directions made by HM Treasury under section 59A of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975. Taken together with general provisions for indexing public service pensions under section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, read with the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971, these provide for the full indexation of GMPs earned as part of a public service pension in circumstances where those GMPs are not increased through the State Pension.
The latest Section 59A direction is available here: Treasury_Direction_30.03.2021_FINAL.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people receiving the Civil Service Pension who had a reduction in their pension then received (a) an increased pension and (b) a lump sum payment following a further adjustment to their Guaranteed Minimum Pension since 2016.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The requested information is not available. The outcome of the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) exercise was a single adjustment to a member’s pension. In a small number of cases a member’s pension may have been adjusted for other reasons and then subsequently changed again as a result of the GMP exercise.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Guaranteed Minimum Pension review in 2016, whether (a) notional or (b) payable additional State Pension was compared to Guaranteed Minimum Pension before the adjustments were made to civil service pensions.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the pension arrangements of Equiniti. 26,715 of around 700,000 pensioner members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme were affected following the Civil Service Pension Scheme Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation and rectification exercise.
Civil Service Pension Scheme members were provided with detailed information about the change to their pension, along with any lump sum underpayment due to the member. In cases where pensions had been overpaid the overpayment was written-off and future pension payments adjusted to the correct level. Members requesting a complete breakdown of the calculations supporting these figures, following receipt of the detailed information about the change to their pension, were provided with the complete breakdown.
The reconciliation exercise compares member data held by the scheme with records held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Where there is a discrepancy between the data sources the reason is investigated in order to reconcile the scheme data with the HMRC data which may result in changes to pensions in payment. Consideration of notional or payable Additional State Pension is not relevant to the reconciliation exercise.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has provided Civil Service Pensions with all the necessary information relating to Guaranteed Minimum Pension for all pension holders.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the pension arrangements of Equiniti. 26,715 of around 700,000 pensioner members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme were affected following the Civil Service Pension Scheme Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation and rectification exercise.
Civil Service Pension Scheme members were provided with detailed information about the change to their pension, along with any lump sum underpayment due to the member. In cases where pensions had been overpaid the overpayment was written-off and future pension payments adjusted to the correct level. Members requesting a complete breakdown of the calculations supporting these figures, following receipt of the detailed information about the change to their pension, were provided with the complete breakdown.
The reconciliation exercise compares member data held by the scheme with records held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Where there is a discrepancy between the data sources the reason is investigated in order to reconcile the scheme data with the HMRC data which may result in changes to pensions in payment. Consideration of notional or payable Additional State Pension is not relevant to the reconciliation exercise.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many pensioners with (a) Civil Service Pension and (b) Equiniti had their pensions reduced following the Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation exercise undertaken between 2016 and 2019.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the pension arrangements of Equiniti. 26,715 of around 700,000 pensioner members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme were affected following the Civil Service Pension Scheme Guaranteed Minimum Pension reconciliation and rectification exercise.
Civil Service Pension Scheme members were provided with detailed information about the change to their pension, along with any lump sum underpayment due to the member. In cases where pensions had been overpaid the overpayment was written-off and future pension payments adjusted to the correct level. Members requesting a complete breakdown of the calculations supporting these figures, following receipt of the detailed information about the change to their pension, were provided with the complete breakdown.
The reconciliation exercise compares member data held by the scheme with records held by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Where there is a discrepancy between the data sources the reason is investigated in order to reconcile the scheme data with the HMRC data which may result in changes to pensions in payment. Consideration of notional or payable Additional State Pension is not relevant to the reconciliation exercise.