Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to protect the future of the Police Pension Scheme.

Information about the main elements of the reform has been in the public domain for some time. This includes: the Reform Design Framework which was published on the Home Office Website on 3 September 2012; an online calculator which allows officers to determine what benefits they might receive under the new arrangements, published on 3 September 2012; and further detailed questions and answers which were published on 19 November 2013.

The Police Pensions Regulations 2015 were laid before Parliament on Thursday 5 March after extensive consultation with partners including police officers’ representatives. Members’ guidance was published on Friday 6 March, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-police-pensions-scheme-2015-members-guide. The Police Pensions Regulations 2015 are due to come into force on 1 April 2015; there are no plans to delay implementation.

The Government has committed that there will be no further reforms to the public service pension schemes for 25 years. Provisions were included in the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 to ensure that a high bar is set for any future government that seeks to change the schemes.