§ Mr. Cousins:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what pension arrangements he requires for employees of contractors offering outsourcing services to (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; whether he distinguishes between transferred employees and those directly recruited by the contractor; and whether any of these employees can join the Civil Service Pension scheme. [141157]
§ Ruth Kelly:The Treasury does not seek to establish the pension arrangements their contractors have with their staff. However, where it is deemed that the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations apply, there is a need for the contractor to provide an analogous pension scheme for staff transferred to them as a result of winning the contract.