Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if she will take steps to ensure that members of the civil pension scheme who have depleted personal savings while waiting for McCloud remedy pension benefits to be paid are restored to their previous financial position.
Answered by Sally Jameson - Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Capita is responsible for delivering the remaining 2015 Remedy work. The cases remaining to be processed are generally the most complex, involving intricate service histories, multiple retirements, or complex benefit structures.
All active and deferred Remedy-affected members receive this choice at retirement.
The McCloud remedy work is a bespoke and one-off piece of work that is not an ongoing part of the services for members who have not yet retired. As part of the remedy work, members, who had service during the remedy period, who retired and claimed benefits before 1st October 2023, receive an immediate choice remedial savings statement (RSS). The RSS confirms their options and asks them to confirm their choice of benefits between their legacy scheme and alpha for the remedy period. To date, 58,411 RSS’s have been distributed and 42,516 immediate choice elections have been implemented.
The Cabinet Office has now received Capita's Remedy Delivery plan for completion of the outstanding work. We are currently reviewing, challenging and assuring the Full Business Case and cost profile. The Civil Service Pensions Scheme website will be updated as this work progresses.
It is important to note that all impacted members in receipt of a pension are already receiving benefits and that the remedy is a potential adjustment, depending on the member’s choice, to benefits already in payment. As such the alternative scheme benefits does not automatically provide a member with a higher pension and lump sum. Where it does and the member makes an alternative scheme election, the difference between what has been paid and what is due, will be backdated to the original payment date and paid to the member inclusive of interest.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps her Department is taking to accelerate resolution of McCloud remedy cases have not yet commenced and are not expected to be fully resolved until mid-2027.
Answered by Sally Jameson - Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Capita is responsible for delivering the remaining 2015 Remedy work. The cases remaining to be processed are generally the most complex, involving intricate service histories, multiple retirements, or complex benefit structures.
All active and deferred Remedy-affected members receive this choice at retirement.
The McCloud remedy work is a bespoke and one-off piece of work that is not an ongoing part of the services for members who have not yet retired. As part of the remedy work, members, who had service during the remedy period, who retired and claimed benefits before 1st October 2023, receive an immediate choice remedial savings statement (RSS). The RSS confirms their options and asks them to confirm their choice of benefits between their legacy scheme and alpha for the remedy period. To date, 58,411 RSS’s have been distributed and 42,516 immediate choice elections have been implemented.
The Cabinet Office has now received Capita's Remedy Delivery plan for completion of the outstanding work. We are currently reviewing, challenging and assuring the Full Business Case and cost profile. The Civil Service Pensions Scheme website will be updated as this work progresses.
It is important to note that all impacted members in receipt of a pension are already receiving benefits and that the remedy is a potential adjustment, depending on the member’s choice, to benefits already in payment. As such the alternative scheme benefits does not automatically provide a member with a higher pension and lump sum. Where it does and the member makes an alternative scheme election, the difference between what has been paid and what is due, will be backdated to the original payment date and paid to the member inclusive of interest.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans are there to evaluate the success of the homelessness strategy.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Monitoring delivery of the strategy is important in ensuring the strategy has its intended impact. That is why we set national targets to track progress against this parliament. More details can be found in this published action plan: Cross-Government Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy: Action Plan.
Ministers are updated regularly on data and are working across government through inter-departmental governance to assure collaborative delivery of the strategy. We will also publish reports at least every two years that monitor progress on the implementation of measures set out in this strategy.
In addition, we intend to evaluate the implementation of the strategy at a local level, building on current work being undertaken this year as part of the systems-wide evaluation being delivered by the Centre for Homelessness Impact.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of HMRC Valuation Office's performance in conducting timely revaluations of domestic properties where improvements have been made in England; and what assessment he has made with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government of the potential impact of this performance on local authority finances.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Valuation Office is working towards its target of clearing 90% of Council Tax Maintenance cases within 90 working days by March 2027.
A new case management system has been implemented to help improve the timelines of domestic property cases.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to conclude the review of the Deer Act 1991 and other legislation underpinning the protection and management of deer; and when she expects to publish the review's findings.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is in the process of reviewing the Deer Act 1991 and other legislation which underpins the protection and management of deer. Any proposed changes in the law will be subject to Parliamentary time and suitable opportunities for making legislative changes being available.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence underpins the assumption in the Pension Schemes Act 2026 impact assessment that members will receive a broadly equal share of benefits arising from surplus extraction; and what mechanisms exist to ensure members receive such benefits where scheme rules do not provide for pre-1997 pension increases.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Discretionary indexation is over and above the statutory requirements. This discretion is usually exercised by the trustees with the agreement of the sponsoring employer. Some schemes have previously paid discretionary increases on a regular basis.
The Pension Schemes Act 2026 has made changes so that more trustees of well-funded schemes have the flexibility to share their scheme surplus with employers, subject to strict funding safeguards for members.
Scheme trustees will be responsible for decisions on surplus release, working with sponsoring employers. Trustees must act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries and are best placed to determine the appropriate use of any surplus for their individual scheme. They will agree how members can benefit, which could include discretionary benefit increases.
The Pensions Regulator already expects that trustees be aware of members who would benefit from any decision to award a discretionary increase and whether the scheme has a history of making such awards. They will issue guidance, developed in consultation with industry, which will outline matters trustees should consider when releasing surplus.
For the purpose of the Impact Assessment for the Pension Schemes Act, it was stylistically assumed that surplus would be equally split between sponsoring employers and members, reflecting the reality that any split is for trustees not government.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms exist to ensure that the interests of members with pre-1997 pension accruals are represented in decisions on surplus extraction.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Discretionary indexation is over and above the statutory requirements. This discretion is usually exercised by the trustees with the agreement of the sponsoring employer. Some schemes have previously paid discretionary increases on a regular basis.
The Pension Schemes Act 2026 has made changes so that more trustees of well-funded schemes have the flexibility to share their scheme surplus with employers, subject to strict funding safeguards for members.
Scheme trustees will be responsible for decisions on surplus release, working with sponsoring employers. Trustees must act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries and are best placed to determine the appropriate use of any surplus for their individual scheme. They will agree how members can benefit, which could include discretionary benefit increases.
The Pensions Regulator already expects that trustees be aware of members who would benefit from any decision to award a discretionary increase and whether the scheme has a history of making such awards. They will issue guidance, developed in consultation with industry, which will outline matters trustees should consider when releasing surplus.
For the purpose of the Impact Assessment for the Pension Schemes Act, it was stylistically assumed that surplus would be equally split between sponsoring employers and members, reflecting the reality that any split is for trustees not government.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential contribution Sustainable Drainage Systems towards drought resilience and levels of demand on public water supplies over the next 25 years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in improving drought resilience and reducing demand on water supply. The National Planning Policy Framework requires SuDS in all new development, designed and maintained to the National Standards.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to amend (a) environmental permitting and (b) waste licensing requirements to facilitate the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable industrial uses.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is exploring opportunities for businesses to use treated wastewater instead of drinking water or water taken from the environment. The Environment Agency supports innovation and wastewater treatment approaches where there is sufficient evidence, regulatory assurance, and protection of people and the environment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what principles will guide decisions on water allocation where the water requirements of major infrastructure projects may potentially conflict with environmental flow requirements for protected habitats and chalk streams.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should protect and enhance valued landscapes and sites of biodiversity, which includes Chalk Streams. We have also set out more clearly expectations for development proposals to assess and mitigate adverse impacts to water quality on these sensitive waterbodies.