Railway Pension Scheme

EDM number 1253 in 1995-96, proposed by Hugh Bayley on 15/10/1996.

That this House condemns the Secretary of State for Transport for instructing the Government Actuary, without consulting the Railway Pension Trustee, to provide a briefing note about the size of the British Rail pension fund surplus to private companies bidding for railway passenger franchises; believes that action which in any way compromises the independence of the Railway Pension Trustee or could be taken to imply agreement to a future distribution of surplus is wrong; and calls on the Secretary of State for Transport to withdraw the briefing note to franchise applicants, to honour the Government's assurances given in the proceedings of the House on the Railway Bill that the pension funds would be used to provide pensions and for no other purpose, and to respect the independence of the Railway Pension Trustee. (Relevant registered interest declared).

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.