§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 17 December (WA 99), whether they intend to lay a statutory instrument before Parliament, in relation to the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund, to extend survivor pensions to unmarried adult dependants and to continue survivor pensions if a spouse remarries. [HL917]
§ Lord Williams of MostynIt is the Government's policy that the cost of extending pensions to surviving adult dependants, and of paying pensions to surviving spouses for life, should fall to members of the fund. Following the vote last year, the trustees were asked to consider how these proposals could best be implemented. The Leader of the House of Commons will be meeting the chairman of the trustees this week to discuss this issue.