HC Deb 13 November 1996 vol 285 cc217-8W
Mr. Denham

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many requests for information the principal civil service pension scheme has received from pension providers undertaking reviews of pension transfers and opt-outs; in how many cases all appropriate information has been supplied; what is the average length of time taken to supply such information; and what moratorium has been introduced on supplying such information. [3340]

Mr. Freeman

The administration of the principal civil service pension scheme is carried out by employing Departments and the information requested is not held centrally. Administrators have been provided with information packs on the PCSPS, and use these, together with a standard questionnaire on members' benefits, to help them handle requests from pension providers consistently and efficiently. The recent introduction of powers to recharge administrative costs should assist further with the processing of such requests although we believe that relatively few civil servants are affected by the personal pensions review.