§ Mr. Ray PowellTo ask the Lord President of the Council what consultations he had before 25 November with the managing trustees of the House of Commons Members' Fund on its role in relation to pensions and death benefits applicable to hon. Members and their dependants from 1 January 1993.
§ Mr. NewtonI spoke informally on 25 November to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) and my hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Sir P. Hordern) in their capacities as chairman and member of the trustees of the parliamentary pensions fund: these discussions did not touch specifically on the Members' fund.
§ Mr. Ray PowellTo ask the Lord President of the Council what powers the House of Commons Members' Fund has to supplement a pensions benefit in cases where an hon. Member now in service dies or retires due to ill-health after 1 January 1993.
§ Mr. NewtonThe trustees' powers to make discretionary payments are very wide indeed since the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991.
§ Mr. Ray PowellTo ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the circumstances in relation to which it may be necessary to consider the role of the House of Commons Members' Fund in relation to hon. Members' pensions in the very short term.
§ Mr. NewtonI am discussing pensions matters raised in the debate with the trustees of the parliamentary pensions fund shortly, and have nothing to add at the moment to my remarks at the end of the debate on 25 November.