§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy on the extent to which employers should offer their staff an occupational pension scheme or a suitable alternative.
§ Mr. Peter LloydIt is our policy to encourage employers to set up occupational pension schemes so that their employees will have the widest possible range of options from which to choose the most appropriate means of providing for their retirement. The changes brought about last year as a result of the Social Security Act 1986 made it easier for employers to use their occupational pension schemes for contracting out of the state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS).