§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement about the chairmanship of the Occupational Pensions Board.
§ Mr. EnnalsI have appointed Lord Brimelow, GCMG, OBE, to be chairman of the Occupational Pensions Board from 1st July 1978, in succession to Lord Allen of Abbeydale, GCB, who has found it necessary to resign from the board in view of his other commitments.
Lord Allen has been chairman of the board since its formation in 1973. This has been a crucial period in the developing partnership between the State pension scheme and good occupational pension schemes. In particular, these years have seen the implementation of the pension preservation requirements of the Social Security Act 1973 and, more recently, the successful launching of the contracting-out arrangements under the Government's new pension scheme, involving the issue of over 20,000 contracting-out certificates. I am glad to pay tribute to the great respect in which the work of the board, under Lord Allen's chairmanship, has come to be held.