§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Department has been given Treasury approval to retain surpluses payable to it out of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme during the last five years to offset expenditure on liabilities inherited from British Coal. [164382]
§ Nigel Griffiths[pursuant to his reply, 19 April 2004, Official Report, c.66–67W1: I regret it covered only the three financial years 2001–02 to 2003–04 and I am taking the opportunity to clarify that for the preceding financial years, the position was as set out in the Government's Expenditure plans 2000–01 to 2001–02 (Cm 4611) which was placed in the Libraries of the House, and which stated:
These figures include receipts of 50 per cent. of the surpluses in the coal pension funds which are required under the Coal Industry Act 1994 to be paid into the consolidated fund, except in so far as they may be retained to offset expenditure on liabilities inherited from British Coal.This reflected the special arrangements agreed between the Department and Her Majesty's Treasury as part of the DTIs CSR to ensure the Department's ability to pay coal health claims as quickly as possible.