This version of this statute is extracted from the UK Statute Law Database (SLD). It is not necessarily in the form in which it was originally enacted but is a revised version, which means that any subsequent amendments to the text and other effects are incorporated with annotations.
Northern Ireland Orders in Council
13th December 1995
25..Appointment and powers of independent trustees: further provisions
26..Insolvency practitioner or official receiver to give information to trustees
26A..Information to be given to the Authority in relation to a scheme to which Article 22 applies
26B..Information to be given in cases where Article 22 disapplied
CERTIFICATION OF PENSION SCHEMES AND EFFECTS ON MEMBERS' STATE SCHEME RIGHTS AND DUTIES
F1 functions transf. by SR 1999/481
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
(2) Subject to the following provisions, this Order comes into operation on such day or days as the Department may by order appointF1.
(3) The following provisions come into operation on the expiration of two days from the day on which this Order is made—
(a) Part III, subject to Schedule 2,
(b) Article 163,
and any repeal in Schedule 5 for which there is a note comes into operation in accordance with that note.
(4) Article 162 and the repeal in Schedule 5, Part IV, in the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978F2 come into operation on such day or days as the Lord Chancellor may by order appoint.
(5) Without prejudice to Article 166(3), the power to make an order under this Article includes power—
(a) to make such transitional adaptations or modifications—
(i) of the provisions brought into operation by the order, or
(ii) in connection with those provisions, or any provision of this Order, or the Pension Schemes Act, then in force, or
(b) to make such savings for the effect of any of the repealed provisions of the Pension Schemes Act, or those provisions as adapted or modified by the order,
as appear to the Department expedient, including different adaptations or modifications for different periods.
2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F1 applies to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(2) In this Order—
the Administration Act means the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992F2;
the Contributions and Benefits Act means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992F3;
the Department means the Department of Health and Social Services;
enactment includes any statutory provision (as defined by section 1 of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954);
occupational pension scheme and personal pension scheme have the meaning given by section 1 of the Pension Schemes Act;
the Pension Schemes Act means the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993F4;
regulations means regulations made by the Department or any other Northern Ireland department, as the context may require.
(3) In the application of section 24(1) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (service of documents by post by registering them) for the purposes of this Order, omit registering.
(4) Subject to the provisions of this Order, expressions used in this Order and in the Pension Schemes Act have the same meaning in this Order as in that Act.
3.—(1) The Authority may by order prohibit a person from being a trustee of a particular trust scheme in any of the following circumstances.
(2) The circumstances are—
(a) that the Authority are satisfied that while being a trustee of the scheme the person has been in serious or persistent breach of any of his duties under—
(i) this Part, other than the following provisions: Articles 51 to 54, 62 to 65 and 108 to 110,
(ii) the following provisions of the Pension Schemes Act: section 2 (registration), Chapter IV of Part IV (transfer values),F1 Chapter II of Part IVA (pension credit benefit transfer values) section 109 (information) and section 170 (levy),F1 or
F1(iii) the following provision of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999: Article 30 (time for discharge of pension credit liability) and Article 42 (information),
(b) that the Authority are satisfied that, while being a trustee of the scheme, this Article has applied to the person by virtue of F1 this Order or any other statutory provision,
(c) that the person is a company and any director of the company is prohibited under this Article from being a trustee of the scheme, or
(d) that the person is a director of a company which, by reason of circumstances falling within sub-paragraph (a) or (b), is prohibited under this Article from being a trustee of the scheme and the Authority are satisfied that the acts or defaults giving rise to those circumstances were committed with the consent or connivance of, or attributable to any neglect on the part of, the director;
or any other prescribed circumstances.
(3) The making of an order under paragraph (1) against a person who is a trustee of the scheme in question has the effect of removing him.
(4) The Authority may, on the application of any person against whom an order under paragraph (1) is in force, by order revoke the order, but a revocation made at any time cannot affect anything done before that time.
F1 1999 NI 11
4.—(1) The Authority may by order suspend a trustee of a trust scheme—
(a) pending consideration being given to the making of an order against him under Article 3(1),
(b) where proceedings have been instituted against him for an offence involving dishonesty or deception and have not been concluded,
(c) where a petition has been presented to the court for an order adjudging him bankrupt, or for the sequestration of his estate, and proceedings on the petition have not been concluded,
(d) where the trustee is a company, if a petition for the winding up of the company has been presented to the court and proceedings on the petition have not been concluded,
(e) where an application has been made to the court for a disqualification order against him under F1 the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 or for such an order under any corresponding enactment for the time being in force in Great Britain and proceedings on the application have not been concluded, or
(f) where the trustee is a company and, if any director were a trustee, the Authority would have power to suspend him under sub-paragraph (b), (c) or (e).
(2) An order under paragraph (1)—
(a) if made by virtue of sub-paragraph (a), has effect for an initial period not exceeding twelve months, and
(b) in any other case, has effect until the proceedings in question are concluded;
but the Authority may by order extend the initial period referred to in sub-paragraph (a) for a further period of twelve months, and any order suspending a person under paragraph (1) ceases to have effect if an order is made against that person under Article 3(1).
(3) An order under paragraph (1) has the effect of prohibiting the person suspended, during the period of his suspension, from exercising any functions as trustee of any trust scheme to which the order applies; and the order may apply to a particular trust scheme, a particular class of trust schemes or trust schemes in general.
(4) An order under paragraph (1) may be made on one of the grounds in sub-paragraphs (b) to (e) whether or not the proceedings were instituted, petition presented or application made (as the case may be) before or after the coming into operation of that paragraph.
(5) The Authority may, on the application of any person suspended under paragraph (1), by order revoke the order, either generally or in relation to a particular scheme or a particular class of schemes; but a revocation made at any time cannot affect anything done before that time.
(6) An order under this Article may make provision as respects the period of the trustee's suspension for matters arising out of it, and in particular for enabling any person to execute any instrument in his name or otherwise act for him and for adjusting any rules governing the proceedings of the trustees to take account of the reduction in the number capable of acting.
F1 2002 NI 4
5.—(1) Before the Authority make an order under Article 3 against a person without his consent, the Authority must, unless he cannot be found or has no known address, give him not less than one month's notice of their proposal, inviting representations to be made to them within a time specified in the notice.
(2) Where any such notice is given, the Authority must take into consideration any representations made to them about the proposals within the time specified in the notice.
(3) Before making an order under Article 3 against a person, the Authority must give notice of their intention to do so to each of the trustees of the scheme, except that person (if he is a trustee) and any trustee who cannot be found or has no known address.
(4) Where the Authority make an order under Article 4 against a person, they must—
(a) immediately give notice of that fact to that person, and
(b) as soon as reasonably practicable, give notice of that fact to the other trustees of any trust scheme to which the order applies, except any trustee who cannot be found or has no known address.
(5) For the purposes of section 24(1) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F1 (service of documents by post) in its application to this Article, the last known address of any person is his latest address known to the Authority.
F1 1954 c. 33 (NI)
6.—(1) A person who purports to act as trustee of a trust scheme while prohibited from being a trustee of the scheme under Article 3 or suspended in relation to the scheme under Article 4 is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment or both.
(2) An offence under paragraph (1) may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence under that paragraph by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(3) Things done by a person purporting to act as trustee of a trust scheme while prohibited from being a trustee of the scheme under Article 3 or suspended in relation to the scheme under Article 4 are not invalid merely because of that prohibition or suspension.
(4) Nothing in Article 3 or 4 or this Article affects the liability of any person for things done, or omitted to be done, by him while purporting to act as trustee of a trust scheme.
7.—(1) Where a trustee of a trust scheme is removed by an order under Article 3, or a trustee of such a scheme ceases to be a trustee by reason of his disqualification, the Authority may by order appoint another trustee in his place.
(2) Where a trustee appointed under paragraph (1) is appointed to replace a trustee appointed under Article 23(1)(b), Articles 22 to 26 shall apply to the replacement trustee as they apply to a trustee appointed under Article 23(1)(b).
(3) The Authority may also by order appoint a trustee of a trust scheme where they are satisfied that it is necessary to do so in order—
(a) to secure that the trustees as a whole have, or exercise, the necessary knowledge and skill for the proper administration of the scheme,
(b) to secure that the number of trustees is sufficient for the proper administration of the scheme, or
(c) to secure the proper use or application of the assets of the scheme.
(4) The Authority may also appoint a trustee of a trust scheme in prescribed circumstances.
(5) The power to appoint a trustee by an order under this Article includes power by such an order—
(a) to determine the appropriate number of trustees for the proper administration of the scheme,
(b) to require a trustee appointed by the order to be paid fees and expenses out of the scheme's resources,
(c) to provide for the removal or replacement of such a trustee.
(6) Regulations may make provision about the descriptions of persons who may or may not be appointed trustees under this Article.
8.—(1) An order under Article 7 appointing a trustee may provide that an amount equal to the amount (if any) to which paragraph applies is to be treated for all purposes as a debt due from the employer to the trustees.
(2) This paragraph applies to any amount which has been paid to the trustee so appointed out of the resources of the scheme and has not been reimbursed by the employer.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), a trustee appointed under Article 7 shall, unless he is the independent trustee and Article 22 applies in relation to the scheme, have the same powers and duties as the other trustees.
(4) An order under Article 7 may make provision—
(a) for restricting the powers or duties of a trustee so appointed,
(b) for powers or duties to be exercisable by a trustee so appointed to the exclusion of other trustees.
9. Where the Authority have power under this Part to appoint or remove a trustee, they may exercise the same jurisdiction and powers as are exercisable by the High Court for vesting any property in, or transferring any property to, trustees in consequence of the appointment or of the removal.
10.—(1) Where the Authority are satisfied that by reason of any act or omission this Article applies to any person, they may by notice in writing require him to pay, within a prescribed period, a penalty in respect of that act or omission not exceeding the maximum amount.
(2) In this Article, the maximum amount means—
(a) £5,000 in the case of an individual and £50,000 in any other case, or
(b) such lower amount as may be prescribed in the case of an individual or in any other case,
and the Department may by order amend sub-paragraph (a) by substituting higher amounts for the amounts for the time being specified in that sub-paragraph.
(3) Regulations made by virtue of this Part may provide for any person who has contravened any provision of such regulations to pay, within a prescribed period, a penalty under this Article not exceeding an amount specified in the regulations; and the regulations must specify different amounts in the case of individuals from those specified in other cases and any amount so specified may not exceed the amount for the time being specified in the case of individuals or, as the case may be, others in paragraph (2)(a).
(4) An order made under paragraph (2) or regulations made by virtue of paragraph (3) do not affect the amount of any penalty recoverable under this Article by reason of an act or omission occurring before the order or, as the case may be, regulations are made.
(5) Where—
(a) apart from this paragraph, a penalty under this Article is recoverable from a body corporate by reason of any act or omission of the body as a trustee of a trust scheme, and
(b) the act or omission was done with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any persons mentioned in paragraph (6),
this Article applies to each of those persons who consented to or connived in the act or omission or to whose neglect the act or omission was attributable.
(6) The persons referred to in paragraph (5)(b) are—
(a) any director, manager, secretary, or other similar officer of the body corporate, or a person purporting to act in any such capacity, and
(b) where the affairs of the body corporate are managed by its members, any member in connection with his functions of management.
(7) Where the Authority requires any person to pay a penalty by virtue of paragraph (5), they may not also require the body corporate in question to pay a penalty in respect of the same act or omission.
(8) A penalty under this Article is recoverable by the Authority.
F1(8A) Any penalty recoverable under this Article shall, if a county court so orders, be enforceable as if it were payable under an order of that court.
(9) The Authority must pay to the Department any penalty recovered under this Article.
F1 1999 NI 11
11.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (7), the Authority may by order direct or authorise an occupational pension scheme to be wound up if they are satisfied that—
(a) the scheme, or any part of it, ought to be replaced by a different scheme,
(b) the scheme is no longer required, or
(c) it is necessary in order to protect the interests of the generality of the members of the scheme that it be wound up.
(2) The Authority may not make an order under this Article on either of the grounds referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) unless they are satisfied that the winding up of the scheme—
(a) cannot be achieved otherwise than by means of such an order, or
(b) can only be achieved in accordance with a procedure which—
(i) is liable to be unduly complex or protracted, or
(ii) involves the obtaining of consents which cannot be obtained, or can only be obtained with undue delay or difficulty,
and that it is reasonable in all the circumstances to make the order.
(3) An order made under this Article on either of the grounds referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) may be made only on the application of—
(a) the trustees or managers of the scheme,
(b) any person other than the trustees or managers who has power to alter any of the rules of the scheme, or
(c) the employer.
(4) An order under this Article authorising a scheme to be wound up must include such directions with respect to the manner and timing of the winding up as the Authority think appropriate having regard to the purposes of the order.
(5) The winding up of a scheme in pursuance of an order of the Authority under this Article is as effective in law as if it had been made under powers conferred by or under the scheme.
(6) An order under this Article may be made and complied with in relation to a scheme—
(a) in spite of any enactment or rule of law, or any rule of the scheme, which would otherwise operate to prevent the winding up, or
(b) except for the purpose of the Authority determining whether they are satisfied as mentioned in paragraph (2), without regard to any such enactment, rule of law or rule of the scheme as would otherwise require, or might otherwise be taken to require, the implementation of any procedure or the obtaining of any consent, with a view to the winding up.
(7) In the case of a public service pension scheme—
(a) an order under paragraph (1) directing or authorising the scheme to be wound up may only be made on the grounds referred to in sub-paragraph (c), and
(b) such an order may, as the Authority think appropriate, adapt, amend or repeal any enactment in which the scheme is contained or under which it is made.
12.—(1) The appropriate authority may by order direct a public service pension scheme to be wound up if they are satisfied that—
(a) the scheme, or any part of it, ought to be replaced by a different scheme, or
(b) the scheme is no longer required.
(2) Paragraph (2) of Article 11 applies for the purposes of this Article as it applies for the purposes of that, but as if references to the Authority were to the appropriate authority.
(3) In this Article, the appropriate authority, in relation to a scheme, means such Minister of the Crown or government department as may be designated by the Treasury or the Department of Finance and Personnel as having responsibility for the particular scheme.
(4) An order under this Article must include such directions with respect to the manner and timing of the winding up as the appropriate authority thinks appropriate.
(5) Such an order may, as the appropriate authority thinks appropriate, adapt, amend or repeal any enactment in which the scheme is contained or under which it is made.
13. If, on the application of the Authority, the High Court is satisfied that—
(a) there is a reasonable likelihood that a particular person will do any act which constitutes a misuse or misappropriation of assets of an occupational pension scheme, or
(b) that a particular person has done any such act and that there is a reasonable likelihood that he will continue or repeat the act in question or do a similar act,
the Court may grant an injunction restraining him from doing so.
14. If, on the application of the Authority, the High Court is satisfied—
(a) that a power to make a payment, or distribute any assets, to the employer, has been exercised in contravention of Article 37, 76 or 77, or
(b) that any act or omission of the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme was in contravention of Article 40,
the Court may order the employer and any other person who appears to the Court to have been knowingly concerned in the contravention to take such steps as the Court may direct for restoring the parties to the position in which they were before the payment or distribution was made, or the act or omission occurred.
15.—(1) The Authority may, where in the case of any trust scheme the employer fails to comply with any requirement included in regulations by virtue of Article 49(5), direct the trustees to make arrangements for the payment to the members of the benefit to which the requirement relates.
(2) The Authority may—
(a) where in the case of any trust scheme an annual report is published, direct the trustees to include a statement prepared by the Authority in the report, and
(b) in the case of any trust scheme, direct the trustees to send to the members a copy of a statement prepared by the Authority.
(3) A direction under this Article must be given in writing.
(4) Where a direction under this Article is not complied with, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
16.—(1) The trustees of a trust scheme must F2 (subject to Article 17) secure—
(a) that such arrangements for F3 persons selected by F1 qualifying members of the scheme to be trustees of the scheme as are required by this Article are made, and
(b) that those arrangementsF2, and the appropriate rules, are implemented.
(2) Persons who become trustees under the arrangements required by paragraph (1) are referred to in this Part as member-nominated trustees.
(3) The arrangements must provide—
(a) for any person who has been nominated and selected F3 in accordance with the appropriate rules to become a trustee by virtue of his selection, and
(b) for the removal of such a person to require the agreement of all the other trustees.
(4) Where a vacancy for a member-nominated trustee is not filled because insufficient nominations are received, the arrangements must provide for the filling of the vacancy, or for the vacancy to remain, until the expiry of the next period in which persons may be nominated and selected in accordance with F3 the appropriate rules.
(5) The arrangements must provide for the selection of a person as a member-nominated trustee to have effect for a period of not less than three nor more than six yearsF4.
(6) The arrangements must provide for the number of member-nominated trustees to be—
(a) at least two or (if the scheme comprises less than 100 F1 qualifying members) at least one, and
(b) at least one-third of the total number of trustees;
but the arrangements must not provide for a greater number of member-nominated trustees than that required to satisfy that minimum unless the employer has given his approval to the greater number.F4
(7) The arrangements must not provide for the functions of member-nominated trustees to differ from those of any other trustee but, for the purposes of this paragraph—
(a) any provision made by an order under Article 8(4), and
(b) Article 25(2),
shall be disregarded.
(8) F3The arrangements must provide that, if a member-nominated trustee who was aF1 qualifying member of the scheme when he was appointed ceases to be F1 such a member, he ceases to be a trustee by virtue of that factF4.F5
F1 1999 NI 11
F2 prosp. rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F3 prosp. subst.by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F4 prosp. inserted by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F5 prosp. added by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F217.—(1) Article 16 does not apply to a trust scheme if—
(a) a proposal has been made by the employer for the continuation of existing arrangements, or the adoption of new arrangements, for selecting the trustees of the scheme,
(b) the arrangements referred to in the proposal are for the time being approved under the statutory consultation procedure, and
(c) such other requirements as may be prescribed are satisfied.
(2) Where—
(a) by virtue of paragraph (1), Article 16 does not apply to a trust scheme, and
(b) the employer's proposal was for the adoption of new arrangements which, in consequence of paragraph (1)(b), are adopted,
the trustees shall secure that the proposed arrangements are made and implemented.
(3) For the purposes of this Article, the arrangements for selecting the trustees of a scheme include all matters relating to the continuation in office of the existing trustees, the selection or appointment of new trustees and the terms of their appointments and any special rules for decisions to be made by particular trustees.
(4) Article 16 does not apply to a trust scheme if—
(a) the trustees of the scheme consist of all the F1 qualifying members, or
(b) it falls within a prescribed class.
(5) Article 10 applies to any employer who—
(a) makes such a proposal as is referred to in paragraph (1)(a), but
(b) fails to give effect to the statutory consultation procedure.
18.—(1) Where a company is a trustee of a trust scheme F3 and the employer is connected with the company or prescribed conditions are satisfied, the company mustF2, subject to Article 19 secure—
(a) that such arrangements for F3 persons selected by the F1 qualifying members of the scheme to be directors of the company as are required by this Article are made, and
(b) that those arrangements, F4 and the appropriate rules, are implemented.
(2) Persons who become directors under the arrangements required by paragraph (1) are referred to in this Part as member-nominated directors.
(3) The arrangements must provide—
(a) for any person who has been nominated and selected F3 in accordance with the appropriate rules to become a director by virtue of his selection, and
(b) for the removal of such a person to require the agreement of all the other directors.
(4) Where a vacancy for a member-nominated director is not filled because insufficient nominations are received, the arrangements must provide for the filling of the vacancy, or for the vacancy to remain, until the expiry of the next period in which persons may be nominated and selected in accordance with F3 the appropriate rules.
(5) The arrangements must provide for the selection of a person as a member-nominated director to have effect for a period of not less than three nor more than six yearsF5.
(6) The arrangements must provide for the number of member-nominated directors to be—
(a) at least two or (if the scheme comprises less than 100 F1 qualifying members) at least one, and
(b) at least one-third of the total number of directors;
but the arrangements must not provide for a greater number of member-nominated directors than that required to satisfy that minimum unless the employer has given his approval to the greater number.F5
(7) F3The arrangements must provide that, if a member-nominated director who was a F1 qualifying member of the scheme when he was appointed ceases to be F1 such a member, he ceases to be a director by virtue of that factF5.
F3(8) Where this Article applies to a company which is—
(a) a trustee of two or more trust schemes, and
(b) a wholly-owned subsidiary (within the meaning of Article 4 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986F6) of a company which is the employer in relation to those schemes,
the following provisions apply as if those schemes were a single scheme and the members of each of the schemes were members of that scheme, that is: the preceding provisions of this Article, Article 20 and Article 21(7).F7
F1 1999 NI 11
F2 prosp. rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F3 prosp. subst. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F4 prosp. rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F5 prosp. inserted by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F6 1986 NI 6
F7 prosp. added by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F119.—(1) Article 18 does not apply to a company which is a trustee of a trust scheme if—
(a) a proposal has been made by the employer for the continuation of existing arrangements, or the adoption of new arrangements, for selecting the directors of the company,
(b) the arrangements referred to in the proposal are for the time being approved under the statutory consultation procedure, and
(c) such other requirements as may be prescribed are satisfied.
(2) Where—
(a) by virtue of paragraph (1), Article 18 does not apply to a company which is a trustee of a trust scheme; and
(b) the employer's proposal was for the adoption of new arrangements which, in consequence of paragraph (1)(b), are adopted,
the company must secure that the proposed arrangements are made and implemented.
(3) For the purposes of this Article, the arrangements for selecting the directors of a company include all matters relating to the continuation in office of the existing directors, the selection or appointment of new directors and the terms of their appointments and any special rules for decisions to be made by particular directors.
(4) Article 18 does not apply to a company which is a trustee of a trust scheme if the scheme falls within a prescribed class.
(5) Article 10 applies to any employer who—
(a) makes such a proposal as is referred to in paragraph (1)(a), but
(b) fails to give effect to the statutory consultation procedure.
F220.—(1) For the purposes of Articles 16 to 21, the appropriate rules are rules which—
(a) make the provision required or authorised by this Article, and no other provision, and
(b) are for the time being approved under the statutory consultation procedure or, if no rules are for the time being so approved, are prescribed rules;
and the arrangements required by Article 16 or 18 to be made must not make any provision which is required or authorised to be made by the rules.
(2) The appropriate rules—
(a) must determine the procedure for the nomination and selection of a person to fill a vacancy as a member-nominated trustee, and
(b) may determine, or provide for the determination of, the conditions required of a person for filling such a vacancy.
(3) The appropriate rules must provide for a member-nominated trustee to be eligible for re-selection at the end of his period of service.
(4) Where a vacancy for a member-nominated trustee is not filled because insufficient nominations are received, the appropriate rules must provide for determining the next period in which persons may be nominated and selected in accordance with the rules, being a period ending at a prescribed time.
(5) The appropriate rules must provide that, where the employer so requires, a person who is not a F1 qualifying member of the scheme must have the employer's approval to qualify for selection as a member-nominated trustee.
(6) Where Article 18 applies to a trust scheme, references in this Article to a member-nominated trustee include a member-nominated director.
21.—(1) If, in the case of a trust scheme—
(a) such arrangements as are required by Article 16(1) or F2 17(2) to be made have not been made, or
(b) arrangements required by Article 16(1) or F2 17(2) to be implementedF3, or the appropriate rules, are not being implemented,F4
Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(2) If, in the case of a company which is a trustee of a trust scheme—
(a) such arrangements as are required by Article 18(1) or F2 19(2) to be made have not been made, or
(b) arrangements required by Article 18(1) or F2 19(2) to be implementedF3, or the appropriate rules, are not being implemented,F4
Articles 3 and 10 apply to the company.F4
(3) Regulations may make provision for determining the time by which—
(a) such arrangements F3 (or further arrangements) as are referred to in Article 16(1), F2 17(2), 18(1) or 19(2) are required to be made, F3 and
F3(b) trustees or directors are required to be selected in pursuance of the appropriate rules.
F3(4) Regulations may make provision for determining when any approval under the statutory consultation procedure—
(a) of the appropriate rules, or
(b) of arrangements for selecting the trustees of a scheme, or the directors of a company, given on a proposal by the employer
is to cease to have effect.
(5) The Department may by regulations modify Articles 16 to F2 20 and this Article in their application to prescribed cases.F4
(6) In Articles F2 17 to 20 F3 and this Article,
F1(a) qualifying member, in relation to a trust scheme, means a person who is an active, deferred or pensioner member of the scheme, F3 and
F1(b)F3 the statutory consultation procedure means the prescribed procedure for obtaining the views of F1 qualifying members of schemes.
(7) For the purposes of this and those Articles—
(a) approval F2 of the appropriate rules, or of arrangements, under the statutory consultation procedure must be given by—
(i) the active and pensioner members of the scheme, and
(ii) if the trustees so determine, such deferred members of the scheme as the trustees may determine,
taken as a whole, F3 and
F3(b) references to the approval of the appropriate rules, or of arrangements under Article 17 or 19, by any persons under the statutory consultation procedure are to prescribed conditions in respect of those rules or, as the case may be, arrangements being satisfied in the case of those persons in pursuance of the procedure, and those conditions may relate to the extent to which those persons have either endorsed, or not objected to, the rules or, as the case may be, arrangements.
F1 1999 NI 11
F2 prosp. subst. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F3 prosp. rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F4 prosp. inserted by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
22.—(1) This Article applies in relation to a trust scheme—
(a) if a person (referred to in this Article and Articles 23 to F1 26A as the practitioner) begins to act as an insolvency practitioner in relation to a company which, or an individual who, is the employer in relation to the scheme, or
(b) if the official receiver becomes—
(i) the liquidator or provisional liquidator of a company which is the employer in relation to the scheme, or
(ii) the receiver and the manager, or the trustee, of the estate of a bankrupt who is the employer in relation to the scheme.
(2) Where this Article applies in relation to a scheme, it ceases to do so—
(a) if some person other than the employer mentioned in paragraph (1) becomes the employer, or
(b) if at any time neither the practitioner nor the official receiver is acting in relation to the employer;
but this paragraph does not affect the application of this Article in relation to the scheme on any subsequent occasion when the conditions specified in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) are satisfied in relation to it.
(3) In this Article and Articles 23 to F1 26A
acting as an insolvency practitioner and official receiver shall be construed in accordance with Articles 3 and 2 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, bankrupt has the meaning given by Article 9 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F2,
company means a company within the meaning given by Article 3 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986F3 or a company which may be wound up under Part VI of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (unregistered companies).
23.—(1) While Article 22 applies in relation to a scheme, the practitioner or official receiver must—
(a) satisfy himself that at all times at least one of the trustees of the scheme is an independent person, and
(b) if at any time he is not so satisfied, appoint under this sub-paragraph, or secure the appointment of, an independent person as a trustee of the scheme.
(2) The duty under paragraph (1)(b) must be performed as soon as reasonably practicable and, if a period is prescribed for the purposes of that paragraph, within that period.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1) a person is independent only if—
(a) he has no interest in the assets of the employer or of the scheme, otherwise than as trustee of the scheme,
(b) he is neither connected with, nor an associate of—
(i) the employer,
(ii) any person for the time being acting as an insolvency practitioner in relation to the employer, or
(iii) the official receiver, acting in any of the capacities mentioned in Article 22(1)(b) in relation to the employer, and
(c) he satisfies any prescribed requirements;
and any reference in this Part to an independent trustee shall be construed accordingly.
(4) Where, apart from this paragraph, the duties imposed by paragraph (1) in relation to a scheme would fall to be discharged at the same time by two or more persons acting in different capacities, those duties shall be discharged—
(a) if the employer is a company, by the person or persons acting as the company's liquidator, provisional liquidator or administrator, or
(b) if the employer is an individual, by the person or persons acting as his trustee in bankruptcy.
(5) References in this Article to an individual include, except where the context otherwise requires, references to a partnership.
24. If—
(a) Article 22 applies in relation to a trust scheme, but
(b) the practitioner or official receiver neglects or refuses to discharge any duty imposed on him by Article 23(1) in relation to the scheme,
any member of the scheme may apply to the High Court for an order requiring him to discharge his duties under Article 23(1).
25.—(1) If, immediately before the appointment of an independent trustee under Article 23(1)(b), there is no trustee of the scheme other than the employer, the employer shall cease to be a trustee upon the appointment of the independent trustee.
(2) While Article 22 applies in relation to a scheme—
(a) any power vested in the trustees of the scheme and exercisable at their discretion may be exercised only by the independent trustee, and
(b) any power—
(i) which the scheme confers on the employer (otherwise than as trustee of the scheme), and
(ii) which is exercisable by him at his discretion but only as trustee of the power,
may be exercised only by the independent trustee,
but if, in either case, there is more than one independent trustee, the power may also by exercised with the consent of at least half of those trustees by any person who could exercise it apart from this paragraph.
(3) While Article 22 applies in relation to a scheme, no independent trustee of the scheme may be removed from being a trustee by virtue only of any provision of the scheme.
(4) If a trustee appointed under Article 23(1)(b) ceases to be an independent person, then—
(a) he must immediately give written notice of that fact to the practitioner or official receiver by whom the duties under that provision fall to be discharged, and
(b) subject to paragraph (5), he shall cease to be a trustee of the scheme.
(5) If, in a case where paragraph (4) applies, there is no other trustee of the scheme than the former independent trustee, he shall not cease by virtue of that paragraph to be a trustee until such time as another trustee is appointed.
(6) A trustee appointed under Article 23(1)(b) is entitled to be paid out of the scheme's resources his reasonable fees for acting in that capacity and any expenses reasonably incurred by him in doing so, and to be so paid in priority to all other claims falling to be met out of the scheme's resources.
26.—(1) Not withstanding anything in Article 133 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F1 (court orders for inspection, etc.), while Article 22 applies in relation to a scheme, the practitioner or official receiver must provide the trustees of the scheme, as soon as practicable after the receipt of a request, with any information which the trustees may reasonably require for the purposes of the scheme.
(2) Any expenses incurred by the practitioner or official receiver in complying with a request under paragraph (1) are recoverable by him as part of the expenses incurred by him in discharge of his duties.
(3) The practitioner or official receiver is not required under paragraph (1) to take any action which involves expenses that cannot be so recovered, unless the trustees of the scheme undertake to meet them.
F1 1989 NI 19
26A.—(1) If at any time while Article 22 applies in relation to a scheme—
(a) the trustees of the scheme do not include at least one person who the practitioner or official receiver has informed them is a person about whose independent status he is satisfied, and
(b) the trustees have no other reasonable grounds for believing that their number includes at least one person about whose independent status the practitioner or official receiver is satisfied,
it shall be the duty of the trustees, as soon as reasonably practicable after it first appears to any one or more of them as mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b), to give notice to the Authority that the scheme appears not to have an independent trustee.
(2) If a trust scheme is without trustees at any time while Article 22 applies to it, it shall be the duty of every person involved in the administration of the scheme, as soon as reasonably practicable after it first appears to him that the scheme is without trustees, to give notice to the Authority that the scheme has no trustees.
(3) No person shall be required to give a notice under paragraph (1) or (2) at any time when it appears to him, on reasonable grounds—
(a) that it is the intention of the practitioner or official receiver, for the purpose of complying with his duty under Article 23(1)(b), to make or secure the appointment of any person as a trustee of the scheme, and
(b) that the appointment will be made within the period specified by or under Article 23(2) for the performance of that duty.
(4) No person shall be required to give a notice under paragraph (2) at any time when it appears to him, on reasonable grounds, that the Authority are already aware that the scheme has no trustees.
(5) Where the practitioner or official receiver at any time informs the trustees of a trust scheme that he is not, or is no longer, satisfied about a person's independent status, no account shall be taken for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) of any information that he was so satisfied which was given by the practitioner or official receiver to the trustees before that time.
(6) References in this Article to the practitioner or official receiver being satisfied about a person's independent status are references to his being satisfied for the purposes of Article 23 that that person is an independent person.
(7) If paragraph (1) is not complied with, Article 10 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(8) Article 10 applies to any person who fails to comply with a duty imposed on him by paragraph (2).
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
26B.—(1) Where, at any time—
(a) Article 22 would apply in relation to a trust scheme but for regulations under Article 115,
(b) the employer in relation to the scheme is the sole trustee of the scheme,
(c) there are persons involved in the administration of the scheme, and
(d) none of those persons has received an employer's assurance relating to the scheme,
it shall be the duty of every person who is involved in the administration of the scheme, as soon as reasonably practicable after it first appears to him as mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b), to give notice to the Authority that the case is one falling within sub-paragraphs (a) to (d).
(2) For the purposes of this Article a person has received an employer's assurance relating to a scheme if during the period while Article 22 would have applied in relation to the scheme but for regulations under Article 115—
(a) he has been informed by the person who is the employer in relation to the scheme that there is no reason why the employer should not continue to act as a trustee of the scheme,
(b) he has not subsequently been informed by the person who is the employer in relation to the scheme that that has ceased to be the case, and
(c) the trustees of the scheme have not changed since he was informed as mentioned in sub-paragraph (a).
(3) No person shall be required to give a notice under paragraph (1)—
(a) at any time when it appears to him, on reasonable grounds, that the Authority are already aware that the case is one falling within sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) of that paragraph,
(b) if a period is prescribed for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, at any time in the prescribed period after the event by virtue of which the scheme became a scheme in relation to which Article 22 would apply but for regulations under Article 115, or
(c) at any other time that is prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph.
(4) Article 10 applies to any person who fails to comply with any duty imposed on him by paragraph (1).
26C.—(1) In Articles 26A and 26B, references in relation to a scheme, to a person involved in the administration of the scheme are (subject to paragraph (2)) references to any person who is so involved otherwise than as—
(a) the employer in relation to that scheme,
(b) a trustee of the scheme,
(c) the auditor of the scheme or its actuary,
(d) a legal adviser of the trustees of the scheme,
(e) a fund manager for the scheme,
(f) a person acting on behalf of a person who is involved in the administration of the scheme,
(g) a person providing services to a person so involved,
(h) a person acting in his capacity as an employee of a person so involved,
(i) a person who would fall within any of sub-paragraphs (f) to (h) if persons acting in relation to the scheme in any capacity mentioned in the preceding sub-paragraphs were treated as involved in the administration of a scheme.
(2) In this Article references, in relation to a scheme, to a person involved in the administration of the scheme do not include references to persons of a particular description if regulations provide for persons of that description to be excluded from those references.
(3) If regulations so provide in relation to any provision of Article 26A or 26B, so much of that provision as requires any notice to be given as soon as reasonably practicable after a particular time shall have effect as a requirement to give that notice within such period after that time as may be prescribed.
27.—(1) A trustee of a trust scheme, and any person who is connected with, or an associate of, such a trustee, is ineligible to act as an auditor or actuary of the scheme.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not make a person who is a director, partner or employee of a firm of actuaries ineligible to act as an actuary of a trust scheme merely because another director, partner or employee of the firm is a trustee of the scheme.
(3) Paragraph (1) does not make a person who falls within a prescribed class or description ineligible to act as an auditor or actuary of a trust scheme.
(4) A person must not act as an auditor or actuary of a trust scheme if he is ineligible under this Article to do so.
(5) In this Article and Article 28 references to a trustee of a trust scheme do not include—
(a) a trustee, or
(b) a trustee of a scheme,
falling within a prescribed class or description.
28.—(1) Any person who acts as an auditor or actuary of a trust scheme in contravention of Article 27(4) is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
(2) An offence under paragraph (1) may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence under that paragraph by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(3) Acts done as an auditor or actuary of a trust scheme by a person who is ineligible under Article 27 to do so are not invalid merely because of that fact.
(4) Where—
(a) a trustee of a trust scheme acts as auditor or actuary of the scheme, or
(b) a person acts as auditor or actuary of a trust scheme when he is ineligible under Article 27 to do so by reason of being connected with, or an associate of, a trustee of the scheme,
Article 3 applies to the trusted.
29.—(1) Subject to paragraph (5), a person is disqualified for being a trustee of any trust scheme if—
(a) he has been convicted of any offence involving dishonesty or deception,
(b) he has been adjudged bankrupt or sequestration of his estate has been awarded and (in either case) he has not been discharged,
(c) where the person is a company, if any director of the company is disqualified under this Article,
(d) where the person is a Scottish partnership, if any partner is disqualified under this Article,
(e) he has made an arrangement or a composition contract with, or granted a trust deed for the behoof of, his creditors and has not been discharged in respect of it, or
(f) he is subject to a disqualification order F1 or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 or to such an order or undertaking under any corresponding enactment for the time being in force in Great Britain.
(2) In paragraph (1)—
(a) sub-paragraph (a) applies whether the conviction occurred before or after the coming into operation of that paragraph, but does not apply in relation to any conviction which is a spent conviction for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978F2,
(b) sub-paragraph (b) applies whether the adjudication of bankruptcy or the sequestration occurred before or after the coming into operation of that paragraph,
(c) sub-paragraph (e) applies whether the arrangement or composition contract was made, or the trust deed was granted, before or after the coming into operation of that paragraph, and
(d) sub-paragraph (f) applies in relation to orders made before or after the coming into operation of that paragraph.
(3) Where a person—
(a) is prohibited from being a trustee of a trust scheme by an order under Article 3, or
(b) has been removed as a trustee of a trust scheme by an order made (whether before or after the coming into operation of this paragraph) by the High Court on the grounds of misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the scheme for which he was responsible or to which he was privy, or which he by his conduct contributed to or facilitated,
the Authority may, if in their opinion it is not desirable for him to be a trustee of any trust scheme, by order disqualify him for being a trustee of any trust scheme.
(4) The Authority may by order disqualify a person for being a trustee of any trust scheme where—
(a) in their opinion he is incapable of acting as such a trustee by reason of mental disorder (within the meaning of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986F3), or
(b) the person is a company which has gone into liquidation (within the meaning of Article 6(2) of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F4).
(5) The Authority may, on the application of any person disqualified under this Article—
(a) give notice in writing to him waiving his disqualification,
(b) in the case of a person disqualified under paragraph (3) or (4) by order revoke the order disqualifying him,
either generally or in relation to a particular scheme or particular class of schemes.
(6) A notice given or revocation made at any time by virtue of paragraph (5) cannot affect anything done before that time.
30.—(1) A trustee of a trust scheme who becomes disqualified under Article 29 shall, while he is so disqualified, cease to be a trustee.
(2) Where—
(a) a trustee of a trust scheme becomes disqualified under Article 29, or
(b) in the case of a trustee or a trust scheme who has become so disqualified, his disqualification is waived or the order disqualifying him is revoked or he otherwise ceases to be disqualified,
the Authority may exercise the same jurisdiction and powers as are exercisable by the High Court for vesting any property in, or transferring any property to, the trustees.
(3) A person who purports to act as a trustee of a trust scheme while he is disqualified under Article 29 is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment or both.
(4) An offence under paragraph (3) may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence under that paragraph by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(5) Things done by a person disqualified under Article 29 while purporting to act as trustee or a trust scheme are not invalid merely because of that disqualification.
(6) Nothing in Article 29 or this Article affects the liability of any person for things done, or omitted to be done, by him while purporting to act as trustee of a trust scheme.
(7) The Authority must keep, in such manner as they think fit, a register of all persons who are disqualified under Article 29(3) or (4); F1 but the arrangements made by the Authority for the register shall secure that the contents of the register are not disclosed or otherwise made available to members of the public except in accordance with Article 30A.
F1(8) Nothing in paragraph (7) requires the Authority to exclude any matter from a report published under Article 101.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
30A.—(1) The Authority shall make arrangements that secure that the disqualification register is open, during the normal working hours of the Authority, for inspection in person and without notice at—
(a) the principal office used by them for the carrying out of their functions under this Order, and
(b) such other offices (if any) of theirs or of the Department as they consider to be places where it would be reasonable for a copy of the register to be kept open for inspection.
(2) If a request is made to the Authority—
(a) to state whether a particular person identified in the request is a person appearing in the disqualification register as disqualified in respect of a scheme specified in the request, or
(b) to state whether a particular person identified in the request is a person appearing in that register as disqualified in respect of all trust schemes,
it shall be the duty of the Authority promptly to comply with the request in such manner as they consider reasonable.
(3) The Authority may, in such manner as they think fit, publish a summary of the disqualification register if (subject to paragraphs (6) to (8)) the summary—
(a) contains all the information described in paragraph (4),
(b) arranges that information in the manner described in paragraph (5),
(c) does not (except by identifying a person as disqualified in respect of all trust schemes) identify any of the schemes in respect of which persons named in the summary are disqualified, and
(d) does not disclose any other information contained in the register.
(4) That information is—
(a) the full names and titles, so far as the Authority have a record of them, of all the persons appearing in the register as persons who are disqualified,
(b) the dates of birth of such of those persons as are persons whose dates of birth are matters of which the Authority have a record, and
(c) in the case of each person whose name is included in the published summary, whether that person appears in the register—
(i) as disqualified in respect of only one scheme,
(ii) as disqualified in respect of two or more schemes but not in respect of all trust schemes, or
(iii) as disqualified in respect of all trust schemes.
(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (c) of paragraph (4), the information contained in the published summary shall be arranged in three separate lists, one for each of the descriptions of disqualification specified in the three heads of that sub-paragraph.
(6) The Authority shall ensure, in the case of any published summary, that a person is not identified in the summary as a disqualified person if it appears to them that the determination by virtue of which that person appears in the register—
(a) is the subject of any pending review, appeal or legal proceedings which could result in that person's removal from the register, or
(b) is a determination which might still become the subject of any such review, appeal or proceedings.
(7) The Authority shall ensure, in the case of any published summary, that the particulars relating to a person do not appear in a particular list mentioned in paragraph (5) if it appears to them that a determination by virtue of which that person's particulars would appear in that list—
(a) is the subject of any pending review, appeal or legal proceedings which could result in such a revocation or other overturning of a disqualification of that person as would require his particulars to appear in a different list, or
(b) is a determination which might still become the subject of any such review, appeal or proceedings.
(8) Where paragraph (7) prevents a person's particulars from being included in a particular list in the published summary, they shall be included, instead, in the list in which they would have been included if the disqualification to which the review, appeal or proceedings relate had already been revoked or otherwise overturned.
(9) For the purposes of this Article a determination is one which might still become the subject of a review, appeal or proceedings if, and only if, in the case of that determination—
(a) the time for the making of an application for a review, or for the bringing of an appeal or other proceedings, has not expired, and
(b) there is a reasonable likelihood that such an application might yet be made, or that such an appeal or such proceedings might yet be brought.
(10) In this Article—
the disqualification register means the register kept by the Authority under Article 30(7),
name, in relation to a person any of whose names is recorded by the Authority as an initial, means that initial.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
31.—(1) No amount may be paid out of the assets of a trust scheme for the purpose of reimbursing, or providing for the reimbursement of, any trustee of the scheme in respect of—
(a) a fine imposed by way of penalty for an offence of which he is convicted, or
(b) a penalty which he is required to pay under Article 10 or under section 164(4) of the Pensions Schemes Act.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), providing for the reimbursement of a trustee in respect of a fine or penalty includes (among other things) providing for the payment of premiums in respect of a policy of insurance where the risk is or includes the imposition of such a fine or the requirement to pay such a penalty.
(3) Where any amount is paid out of the assets of a trust scheme in contravention of this Article, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who fails to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(4) Where a trustee of a trust scheme—
(a) is reimbursed, out of the assets of the scheme or in consequence of provision for his reimbursement made out of those assets, in respect of any of the matters referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b), and
(b) knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe, that he has been reimbursed as mentioned in sub-paragraph (a),
then, unless he has taken all such steps as are reasonable to secure that he is not so reimbursed, he is guilty of an offence.
(5) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (4) is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment, or a fine, or both.
32.—(1) Decisions of the trustees of a trust scheme may, unless the scheme provides otherwise, be taken by agreement of a majority of the trustees.
(2) Where decisions of the trustees of a trust scheme may be taken by agreement of a majority of the trustees—
(a) the trustees may, unless the scheme provides otherwise, by a determination under this paragraph require not less than the number of trustees specified in the determination to be present when any decision is so taken, and
(b) notice of any occasions at which decisions may be so taken must, unless the occasion falls within a prescribed class or description, be given to each trustee to whom it is reasonably practicable to give such notice.
(3) Notice under paragraph (2)(b) must be given in a prescribed manner and not later than the beginning of a prescribed period.
(4) This Article is subject to Articles 8(4)(b), 16(3)(b) and 25(2).
(5) If paragraph (2)(b) is not complied with, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
33.—(1) Liability for breach of an obligation under any rule of law to take care or exercise skill in the performance of any investment functions, where the function is exercisable—
(a) by a trustee of a trust scheme, or
(b) by a person to whom the function has been delegated under Article 34,
cannot be excluded or restricted by an instrument or agreement.
(2) In this Article, references to excluding or restricting liability include—
(a) making the liability or its enforcement subject to restrictive or onerous conditions,
(b) excluding or restricting any right or remedy in respect of the liability, or subjecting a person to any prejudice in consequence of his pursuing any such right or remedy, or
(c) excluding or restricting rules of evidence or procedure.
(3) This Article does not apply—
(a) to a scheme falling within any prescribed class or description, or
(b) to any prescribed description of exclusion or restriction.
34.—(1) The trustees of a trust scheme have, subject to any restriction imposed by the scheme, the same power to make an investment of any kind as if they were absolutely entitled to the assets of the scheme.
(2) Any discretion of the trustees of a trust scheme to make any decision about investments—
(a) may be delegated by or on behalf of the trustees to a fund manager to whom paragraph (3) applies to be exercised in accordance with Article 36, but
(b) may not otherwise be delegated except under section 26 of the Trustee Act (Northern Ireland) 1958F1 (delegation of trusts for period not exceeding 12 months) or paragraph (5).
F2(3) This paragraph applies to a fund manager who, in relation to the investments, may take the decisions in question without contravening the prohibition imposed by section 19 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (prohibition on carrying on regulated activities unless authorised or exempt).
(4) The trustees are not responsible for the act or default of any fund manager in the exercise of any discretion delegated to him under paragraph (2)(a) if they have taken all such steps as are reasonable to satisfy themselves or the person who made the delegation on their behalf has taken all such steps as are reasonable to satisfy himself—
(a) that the fund manager has the appropriate knowledge and experience for managing the investments of the scheme, and
(b) that he is carrying out his work competently and complying with Article 36.
(5) Subject to any restriction imposed by a trust scheme—
(a) the trustees may authorise two or more of their number to exercise on their behalf any discretion to make any decision about investments, and
(b) any such discretion may, where giving effect to the decision would not constitute F2 "the carrying on, in the United Kingdom, of a regulated activity (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000), be delegated by or on behalf of the trustees to a fund manager to whom paragraph (3) does not apply to be exercised in accordance with Article 36;
but in either case the trustees are liable for any acts or defaults in the exercise of the discretion if they would be so liable if they were the acts or defaults of the trustees as a whole.
(6) Article 33 does not prevent the exclusion or restriction of any liability of the trustees of a trust scheme for the acts or defaults of a fund manager in the exercise of a discretion delegated to him under paragraph (5)(b) where the trustees have taken all such steps as are reasonable to satisfy themselves, or the person who made the delegation on their behalf has taken all such steps as are reasonable to satisfy himself—
(a) that the fund manager has the appropriate knowledge and experience for managing the investments of the scheme, and
(b) that he is carrying out his work competently and complying with Article 36;
and paragraph (2) of Article 33 applies for the purposes of this paragraph as it applies for the purposes of that Article.
(7) The provisions of this Article override any restriction inconsistent with the provisions imposed by any rule of law or by or under any enactment, other than an enactment contained in, or made under, this Part or the Pension Schemes Act.
35.—(1) The trustees of a trust scheme must secure that there is prepared, maintained and revised a written statement of the principles governing decisions about investments for the purposes of the scheme.
(2) The statement must cover, among other things—
(a) the trustees' policy for securing compliance with Articles 36 and 56, and
(b) their policy about the following matters.
(3) Those matters are—
(a) the kinds of investments to be held,
(b) the balance between difference kinds of investments,
(c) risk,
(d) the expected return on investments,
(e) the realisation of investments, and
(f) such other matters as may be prescribed.
(4) Neither the trust scheme nor the statement may impose restrictions (however expressed) on any power to make investments by reference to the consent of the employer.
(5) The trustees of a trust scheme must, before a statement under this Article is prepared or revised—
(a) obtain and consider the written advice of a person who is reasonably believed by the trustees to be qualified by his ability in and practical experience of financial matters and to have the appropriate knowledge and experience of the management of the investments of such schemes, and
(b) consult the employer.
(6) If in the case of any trust scheme—
(a) a statement under this Article has not been prepared or is not being maintained, or
(b) the trustees have not obtained and considered advice in accordance with paragraph (5),
Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(7) This Article does not apply to any scheme which falls within a prescribed class or description.
36.—(1) The trustees of a trust scheme must exercise their powers of investment in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4) and any fund manager to whom any discretion has been delegated under Article 34 must exercise the discretion in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) The trustees or fund manager must have regard—
(a) to the need for diversification of investments, in so far as appropriate to the circumstances of the scheme, and
(b) to the suitability to the scheme of investments of the description of investment proposed and of the investment proposed as an investment of that description.
(3) Before investing in any manner (other than in a manner mentioned in Part I of Schedule 1 to the Trustee Investments Act 1961F2) the trustees must obtain and consider proper advice on the question whether the investment is satisfactory having regard to the matters mentioned in paragraph (2) and the principles contained in the statement under Article 35.
(4) Trustees relating any investment must—
(a) determine at what intervals the circumstances, and in particular the nature of the investment, make it desirable to obtain such advice as is mentioned in paragraph (3), and
(b) obtain and consider such advice accordingly.
(5) The trustees, or the fund manager to whom any discretion has been delegated under Article 34, must exercise their powers of investment with a view to giving effect to the principles contained in the statement under Article 35, so far as reasonably practicable.
(6) For the purposes of this Article, proper advice means—
F1(a) if the giving of the advice constitutes the carrying on, in the United Kingdom, of a regulated activity (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000), advice given by a person who may give it without contravening the prohibition imposed by section 19 of that Act (prohibition on carrying on regulated activities unless authorised or exempt);
(b) in any other case, the advice of a person who is reasonably believed by the trustees to be qualified by his ability in and practical experience of financial matters and to have the appropriate knowledge and experience of the management of the investments of trust schemes.
(7) Trustees shall not be treated as having complied with paragraph (3) or (4) unless the advice was given or has subsequently been confirmed in writing.
(8) If the trustees of a trust scheme do not obtain and consider advice in accordance with this Article, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
37.—(1) This Article applies to a trust scheme if—
(a) apart from this Article, power is conferred on any person (including the employer) to make payments to the employer out of funds which are held for the purposes of the scheme.
(b) the scheme is one to which Schedule 22 to the Taxes Act 1988F1 (reduction of pension fund surpluses in certain exempt approved schemes) applies, and
(c) the scheme is not being wound up.
(2) Where the power referred to in paragraph (1)(a) is conferred by the scheme on a person other than the trustees, it cannot be exercised by that person but may be exercised instead by the trustees; and any restriction imposed by the scheme on the exercise of the power shall, so far as capable of doing so, apply to its exercise by the trustees.
(3) The power referred to in paragraph (1)(a) cannot be exercised unless the requirements of paragraphs (4) and (in prescribed circumstances (5), and any prescribed requirements, are satisfied.
(4) The requirements of this paragraph are that—
(a) the power is exercised in pursuance of proposals approved under paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 22 to the Taxes Act 1988,
(b) the trustees are satisfied that it is in the interests of the members that the power be exercised in the manner so proposed,
(c) where the power is conferred by the scheme on the employer, the employer has asked for the power to be exercised, or consented to its being exercised, in the manner so proposed,
F2(d) the annual rates of the pensions under the scheme are increased, at intervals of not more than twelve months, by at least the relevant percentage, and
(e) notice has been given in accordance with prescribed requirements of the scheme of the proposal to exercise the power.
(5) The requirements of this paragraph are that the Authority are of the opinion that—
(a) any requirements prescribed by virtue of paragraph (3) are satisfied, and
(b) the requirements of paragraph (4) are satisfied.
F3(5A) For the purposes of paragraph (4)(d), the relevant percentage is the percentage which, for the purposes of the increases of the annual rates of the pensions under the scheme—
(a) falls to be computed by reference to a period which, except in the case of the first increase—
(i) begins with the end of the period by reference to which the last preceding increase was made, and
(ii) ends with a date which falls after the date of the last preceding increase, and
(b) is equal to whichever is the lesser of—
(i) the percentage increase in the retail prices index over the period by reference to which the increase is made, and
(ii) the equivalent over that period of 5 per cent. per annum.
F2(a) annual rate has the same meaning as in Article 54, and
(b) pension does not include—
(i) any guaranteed minimum pension (as defined in section 4(2) of the Pension Schemes Act) or any increase in such a pension under section 105 of that Act, or
(ii) any money purchase benefit (as defined in section 176(1) of that Act).
(7) This Article does not apply to any payment to which, by virtue of section 601(3) of the Taxes Act 1988F4, section 601(2) of that Act does not apply.
(8) If, where this Article applies to any trust scheme, the trustees purport to exercise the power referred to in paragraph (1)(a) by making a payment to which this Article applies without complying with the requirements of this Article, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(9) If, where this Article applies to any trust scheme, any person, other than the trustees, purports to exercise the power referred to in paragraph (1)(a) by making a payment to which this Article applies, Article 10 applies to him.
(10) Regulations may provide that, in prescribed circumstances, this Article does not apply to schemes falling within a prescribed class or description, or applies to them with prescribed modifications.
38.—(1) If, apart from this Article, the rules of a trust scheme would require the scheme to be wound up, the trustees may determine
F1(a) that the scheme is not for the time being to be wound up but that no new members are to be admitted to it, or
(b) that the scheme is not for the time being to be wound up but that no new members, except pension credit members, are to be admitted to it.
.
(2) Where the trustees make a determination under paragraph (1), this may also determine—
(a) that no further contributions are to be paid towards the scheme, or
(b) that no new benefits are to accrue to, or in respect of, members of the scheme;
.
F1(2A) Paragraph (2) does not authorise the trustees to determine—
(a) where there are accrued rights or pension credit rights to any benefit, that the benefit is not to be increased, or
(b) where the power conferred by that paragraph is exercisable by virtue of a determination under paragraph (1)(b), that members of the scheme may not acquire pension credit rights under it.
(3) This Article does not apply to—
(a) a money purchase scheme, or
(b) a scheme falling within a prescribed class or description.
F1 1999 NI 11
39. No rule of law that a trustee may not exercise the powers vested in him so as to give rise to a conflict between his personal interest and his duties to the beneficiaries shall apply to a trustee of a trust scheme, who is also a member of the scheme, exercising the powers vested in him in any manner, merely because their exercise in that manner benefits, or may benefit, him as a member of the scheme.
40.—(1) The trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme must secure that the scheme complies with any prescribed restrictions with respect to the proportion of its resources that may at any time be invested in, or in any description of, employer-related investments.
(2) In this Article—
employer-related investments means—
(a) shares or other securities issued by the employer or by any person who is connected with, or an associate of, the employer,
(b) land which is occupied or used by, or subject to a lease in favour of, the employer or any such person,
(c) property (other than land) which is used for the purposes of any business carried on by the employer or any such person,
(d) loans to the employer or any such person, and
(e) other prescribed investments,
Definition rep. by SI 2001/3649
F1(2A) In the definition of employer-related investments in paragraph (2), securities means—
(a) shares,
(b) instruments creating or acknowledging indebtedness,
(c) instruments giving entitlements to investments,
(d) certificates representing securities.
(2B) Paragraph (2A) must be read with—
(a) section 22 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000,
(b) any relevant order made under that section, and
(c) Schedule 2 to that Act.
(3) To the extent (if any) that sums due and payable by a person to the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme remain unpaid—
(a) they shall be regarded for the purposes of this Article as loans made to that person by the trustees or managers, and
(b) resources of the scheme shall be regarded as invested accordingly.
(4) If in the case of a trust scheme paragraph (1) is not complied with, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who fails to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(5) If any resources of an occupational pension scheme are invested in contravention of paragraph (1), any trustee or manager who agreed in the determination to make the investment is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment, or both.
F1 SI 2004/355
41.—(1) Regulations may require the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme—
(a) to obtain at prescribed times the documents mentioned in paragraph (2), and
(b) to make copies of them, and of the documents mentioned in paragraph (3), available to the persons mentioned in paragraph (4).
(2) The documents referred to in paragraph (1)(a) are—
(a) the accounts audited by the auditor of the scheme,
(b) the auditor's statement about contributions under the scheme,
(c) a valuation by the actuary of the assets and liabilities of the scheme, and a statement by the actuary concerning such aspects of the valuation as may be prescribed.
(3) The documents referred to in paragraph (1)(b) are—
(a) any valuation, or certificate, prepared under Article 57 or 58 by the actuary of the scheme,
(b) any report prepared by the trustees or managers under Article 59(3).
(4) The persons referred to in paragraph (1)(b) are—
(a) members and prospective members of the scheme,
(b) spouses of members and of prospective members,
(c) persons within the application of the scheme and qualifying or prospectively qualifying for its benefits,
(d) independent trade unions recognised to any extent for the purposes of collective bargaining in relation to members and prospective members of the scheme.
F1(5) Regulations may in the case of occupational pension schemes provide for—
(a) prescribed persons,
(b) persons with prescribed qualifications or experience, or
(c) persons approved by the Department,
to act for the purposes of paragraph (2) instead of scheme auditors or actuaries.
(5A) Regulations may impose duties on the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to disclose information to, and make documents available to, a person acting under paragraph (5).
(5B) If any duty imposed under paragraph (5A) is not complied with, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee, and Article 10 applies to any manager, who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(6) Regulations shall make provision for referring to an industrial tribunal any question whether an organisation is such a trade union as is mentioned in paragraph (4)(d) and may make provision as to the form and content of any such document as is referred to in paragraph (2).
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
Arts. 42-46 rep. by 1996 NI 16
47.—(1) For every occupational pension scheme there shall be—
(a) an individual, or a firm, appointed by the trustees or managers as auditor (referred to in this Part, in relation to the scheme, as the auditor), and
(b) an individual appointed by the trustees or managers as actuary (referred to in this Part, in relation to the scheme, as the actuary).
(2) For every occupational pension scheme the assets of which consist of or include investments there shall be an individual or a firm appointed by or on behalf of the trustees or managers as fund manager.
F1(2A) References in this Article to investments must be read with—
(a) section 22 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;
(b) any relevant order under that section; and
(c) Schedule 2 to that Act.
(3) If in the case of an occupational pension scheme any person—
(a) is appointed otherwise than by the trustees or managers as legal adviser or to exercise any prescribed functions in relation to the scheme, or
(b) is appointed otherwise than by or on behalf of the trustees or managers as a fund manager,
Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee, and Article 10 applies to any manager, who in exercising any of his functions places reliance on the skill or judgement of that person.
(4) In this Part, in relation to an occupational pension scheme—
(a) the auditor, actuary and legal adviser appointed by the trustees or managers,
(b) any fund manager appointed by or on behalf of the trustees or managers, and
(c) any person appointed by the trustees or managers to exercise any of the functions referred to in paragraph (3)(a),
are referred to as professional advisers.
(5) This Article does not apply to an occupational pension scheme falling within a prescribed class or description and regulations may—
(a) make exceptions to paragraphs (1) to (3),
(b) specify the qualifications and experience, or approval, required for appointment as a professional adviser.
(6) Regulations may make provision as to—
(a) the manner in which professional advisers may be appointed and removed,
(b) the terms on which professional advisers may be appointed (including the manner in which the professional advisers may resign).
(7) Subject to regulations made by virtue of paragraph (6), professional advisers shall be appointed on such terms as the trustees or managers may determine.
(8) If in the case of an occupational pension scheme an auditor, actuary or fund manager is required under this Article to be appointed but the appointment has not been made, or not been made in accordance with any requirements imposed under this Article, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee, and Article 10 applies to any manager, who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(9) Regulations may in the case of occupational pension schemes—
(a) impose duties on any person who is or has been the employer, and on any person who acts as auditor or actuary to such a person, to disclose information to the trustees or managers and to the scheme's professional advisers.
(b) impose duties on the trustees or managers to disclose information to, and make documents available to, and make documents available to, the scheme's professional advisers.
(10) If in the case of an occupational pension scheme a person fails to comply with any duty imposed under paragraph (9)(a), Article 10 applies to him.
(11) If in the case of an occupational pension scheme any duty imposed under paragraph (9)(b) is not complied with, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee, and Article 10 applies to any manager, who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
F1 SI 2001/3649
48.—(1) If the auditor or actuary of any occupational pension scheme has reasonable cause to believe that—
(a) any duty relevant to the administration of the scheme imposed by any enactment or rule of law on the trustees or managers, the employer, any professional adviser or any prescribed person acting in connection with the scheme has not been or is not being complied with, and
(b) the failure to comply is likely to be of material significance in the exercise by the Authority of any of their functions,
he must immediately give a written report of the matter to the Authority.
(2) The auditor or actuary of any occupational pension scheme must, in any prescribe circumstances, immediately give a written report of any prescribed matter to the Authority.
(3) No duty to which the auditor or actuary of any occupational pension scheme is subject shall be regarded as contravened merely because of an information or opinion contained in a written report under this Article.
(4) If in the a case of any occupational pension scheme any professional adviser (other than the auditor or actuary), any trustee or manager or any person involved in the administration of the scheme has reasonable cause to believe as mentioned in paragraph (12)(a) and (b), he may give a report of the matter to the Authority.
(5) In the case of any such scheme, no duty to which any such adviser, trustee or manager or other person is subject shall be regarded as contravened merely because of any information or opinion contained in a report under this Article; but this paragraph does not apply to any information disclosed in such a report by the legal adviser of an occupational pension scheme if he would be entitled to refuse to produce a document containing the information in any proceedings in any court on the grounds that it was the subject of legal professional privilege.
(6) Paragraphs (1) to (5) apply to any occupational pension scheme to which Article 47 applies.
(7) Article 10 applies to any auditor or actuary who fails to comply with paragraph (1) or (2).
(8) If it appears to the Authority that an auditor or actuary has failed to comply with paragraph (1) or (2), the Authority may by order disqualify him for being the auditor or, as the case may be, actuary of any occupational pension scheme specified in the order.
(9) An order under paragraph (8) may specify the scheme to which the failure relates, all schemes falling within any class or description of occupational pension scheme or all occupational pensions schemes.
(10) The Authority may, on the application of any person disqualified under this Article who satisfies the Authority that he will in future comply with paragraphs (1) and (2), by order revoke the order disqualifying him; but a revocation made at any time cannot affect anything done before that time.
(11) An auditor or actuary of an occupational pension scheme who becomes disqualified under this Article shall, while he is so disqualified, cease to be auditor or, as the case may be, actuary of any scheme specified in the order disqualifying him.
(12) A person who, while he is disqualified under this Article, purports to act as auditor or actuary of an occupational pension scheme specified in the order disqualifying him is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment, or both.
(13) An offence under paragraph (12) may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence under that paragraph by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
49.—(1) The trustees of any trust scheme must, except in any prescribed circumstances, keep any money received by them in a separate account kept by them F2 with a deposit-taker.
Para. (1A) rep. by SI 2001/3649
(2) Regulations may require the trustees of any trust scheme to keep—
(a) records of their meetings (including meetings of any of their number), and
(b) books and records relating to any prescribed transaction.
(3) Regulations may, in the case of any trust scheme, require the employer, and any prescribed person acting in connection with the scheme, to keep books and records relating to any prescribed transaction.
(4) Regulations may require books or records kept under paragraph (2) or (3) to be kept in a prescribed form and manner and for a prescribed period.
(5) Regulations must, in cases where payments of benefit to members of trust schemes are made by the employer, require the employer to make into a separate account kept by him F2 with a deposit-taker and payments of benefit which have not been made to the members within any prescribed period.
(6) If in the case of any trust scheme any requirements imposed by or under paragraph (1) or (2) are not complied with, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(7) If in the case of any trust scheme any person fails to comply with any requirement imposed under paragraph (3) or (5), Article 10 applies to him.
F1(8) Where on making a payment of any earnings in respect of any employment there is deducted any amount corresponding to any contribution payable on behalf of an active member of an occupational pension scheme, the amount deducted is to be paid, within a prescribed period, to the trustees or managers of the scheme.
F2(8A) Deposit taker means—
(a) a person who has permission under Part 4 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to accept deposits;
(b) an EEA firm of the kind mentioned in paragraph 5(b) of Schedule 3 to that Act which has permission under paragraph 15 of that Schedule (as a result of qualifying for authorisation under paragraph 12 of that Schedule) to accept deposits;
(c) the Bank of England or the central bank of a member state other than the United Kingdom;
(d) the National Savings Bank; or
(e) a municipal bank, that is to say a company which was, immediately before the repeal of the Banking Act 1987, exempted from the prohibition in section 3 of that Act by virtue of section 4(1) of, and paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to, that Act.
(8B) Paragraph (8A) must be read with—
(a) section 22 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;
(b) any relevant order under that section; and
(c) Schedule 2 to that Act.
(9) If in any case there is a failure to comply with paragraph (8)—
(a) Article 10 applies to the employer; F3 and
(b) except in prescribed circumstances, the trustees or managers must give notice of the failure, within the prescribed period, to the Authority and the memberF4.
(10) If in any case paragraph (9)(b) is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance; and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.F5
(11) If any person is knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the obligation imposed by paragraph (8) in any case, he is guilty of an offence.
(12) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (11) is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum; and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or a fine or both.
(13) A person shall not be required by virtue of paragraph (9)(a) to pay a penalty under Article 10 in respect of a failure if in respect of that failure he has been—
(a) required to pay a penalty under that Article by virtue of Article 5(7) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (failures in respect of stakeholder pensions), or
(b) convicted of an offence under paragraph (11).
F1 1999 NI 11
F2 SI 2001/3649
F3 prosp. rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F4 prosp. added by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
F5 prosp. inserted by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
49A.—(1) Except in so far as regulations otherwise provide, the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme shall keep written records of—
(a) any determination for the winding-up of the scheme in accordance with its rules,
(b) decisions as to the time from which steps for the purposes of the winding-up of the scheme are to be taken,
(c) determinations under Article 38,
(d) determinations in accordance with the rules of the scheme to postpone the commencement of a winding-up of the scheme.
(2) For the purpose of this Article—
(a) the determinations and decisions of which written records must be kept under this Article include determinations and decisions by persons who—
(i) are not trustees or managers of a scheme, but
(ii) are entitled, in accordance with the rules of a scheme, to make a determination for its winding-up, and
(b) regulations may, in relation to such determinations or decisions as are mentioned in sub-paragraph (a), impose obligations to keep written records on the persons making the determinations or decisions (as well as, or instead of, on the trustees or managers).
(3) Regulations may provide for the form and content of any records that are required to be kept under this Article.
(4) Article 3 applies to any trustee of a scheme who fails to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance by the trustees of that scheme with the obligations imposed on them by this Article.
(5) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager of a scheme who fails to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance by the trustees or managers of that scheme with those obligations.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
50.—(1) The trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme must secure that such arrangements as are required by or under this Article for the resolution of disagreements between prescribed persons about matters in relation to the scheme are made and implemented.
(2) The arrangements must—
(a) provide for a person, on the application of a complainant of a prescribed description, to give a decision on such a disagreement, and
(b) require the trustees or managers, on the application of such a complainant following a decision given in accordance with sub-paragraph (a), to reconsider the matter in question and confirm the decision or give a new decision in its place.
(3) Regulations may make provision about—
(a) applications for decisions under such arrangements, and
(b) the procedure for reaching and giving such decisions,
including the times by which applications are to be made and decisions given.
(4) Applications and decisions under paragraph (2) must be in writing.
(5) Arrangements under paragraph (1) must, in the case of existing schemes, have effect as from the commencement of this Article.
(6) If, in the case of any occupational pension scheme, such arrangements as are required by this Article to be made have not been made, or are not being implemented, Article 10 applies to any of the trustees or managers who have failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure that such arrangements are made or implemented.
(7) This Article does not apply to a scheme of a prescribed description and paragraph (1) does not apply to prescribed matters in relation to the scheme.
51.—(1) Subject to paragraph (6), this Article applies to a pension under an occupational pension scheme if—
(a) the scheme—
(i) is an approved scheme, within the meaning of Chapter I of Part XIV of the Taxes Act 1988F3 (retirement benefit schemes approved by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue) or is a scheme for which such approval has been applied for under that Chapter and not refused, and
(ii) is not a public service pension scheme, and
(b) apart from this Article, the annual rate of the pension would not be increased each year by at least the appropriate percentage of that rate.
(2) F2Subject to Articles 51A and 52, where a pension to which this Article applies, or any part of it, is attributable to pensionable service on or after the appointed day or, in the case of money purchase benefits, to payments in respect of employment carried on or after the appointed day—
(a) the annual rate of the pension, or
(b) if only part of the pension is attributable to pensionable service or, as the case may be, to payments in respect of employment carried on on or after the appointed day, so much of the annual rate as is attributable to that part,
must be increased annually by at least the appropriate percentage.
(3) Paragraph (2) does not apply to a pension under an occupational pension scheme if the rules of the scheme require—
(a) the annual rate of the pension, or
(b) if only part of the pension is attributable to pensionable service or, as the case may be, to payments in respect of employment carried on on or after the appointed day, so much of the annual rate as is attributable to that part,
to be increased at intervals of not more than twelve months by at least the relevant percentage and the scheme complies with any prescribed requirements.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3) the relevant percentage is—
(a) the percentage increase in the retail prices index for the reference period, being a period determined, in relation to each periodical increase under the rules, or
(b) the percentage for that period which corresponds to 5 per cent. per annum,
whichever is the lesser.
(5) Regulations may provide that paragraphs (2) and (3) apply in relation to a pension as if so much of it as would not otherwise be attributable to pensionable service or to payments in respect of employment were attributable to pensionable service or, as the case may be, payments in respect of employment—
(a) before the appointed day,
(b) on or after that day, or
(c) partly before and partly on or after that day.
(6) This Article does not apply to any pension or part of a pension F1 which is attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit or which, in the opinion of the trustees or managers, is derived from the payment by any member of the scheme of voluntary contributions.
51A.—(1) No increase under Article 51 is required to be made, at any time on or after the relevant date, of so much of any pension under a money purchase scheme as—
(a) is payable by way of an annuity the amount of which for any year after the first year of payment is determined (whether under the terms of the scheme or under the terms of the annuity contract in pursuance of which it is payable) by reference to fluctuations in the value of, or the return from, particular investments,
(b) does not represent benefits payable in respect of the protected rights of any member of the scheme, and
(c) satisfies such other conditions (if any) as may be prescribed.
(2) For the purposes of this Article it shall be immaterial whether the annuity in question is payable out of the funds of the scheme in question or under an annuity contract entered into for the purposes of the scheme.
(3) In this Article the relevant date means the date appointed for the coming into operation of section 47 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
52.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no increase under Article 51 is required to be paid to or for a member of a scheme whose pension is in payment but who has not attained the age of 55 at the time when the increase takes effect.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply if the member—
(a) is permanently incapacitated by mental or physical infirmity from engaging in regular full-time employment, or
(b) has retired on account of mental or physical infirmity from the employment in respect of which, or on retirement from which, the pension is payable.
(3) The rules of a scheme may provide that if, in a case where a pension has been paid to or for a member under the age of 55 at an increased rate in consequence of paragraph (2), the member—
(a) ceases to suffer from the infirmity in question before he attains the age of 55, but
(b) continues to be entitled to the pension,
any increases subsequently taking effect under Article 51 in the annual rate of the pension shall not be paid or shall not be paid in full.
(4) In any case where—
(a) by virtue only of paragraph (1) or (3), increases are not paid to or for a member or are not paid in full, but
(b) the member attains the age of 55 or, in a case falling within paragraph (3), again satisfies the condition set out in paragraph (2)(a) or (b),
his pension shall then become payable at the annual rate at which it would have been payable apart from paragraph (1) or (3).
53.—(1) Where in any tax year the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme make an increase in a person's pension, not being an increase required by section 105 of the Pension Schemes Act or Article 51, they may deduct the amount of the increase from any increase which, but for this paragraph, they would be required to make under that section or Article in the next tax year.
(2) Where in any tax year the trustees or managers of such a scheme make an increase in a person's pension and part of the increase is not required by section 105 of the Pension Schemes Act or Article 51, they may deduct that part of the increase from any increase which, but for this paragraph, they would be required to make under that section or Article in the next tax year.
(3) Where by virtue of paragraph (1) or (2) any pensions are not required to be increased in pursuance of section 105 of the Pension Schemes Act or Article 51, or not by the full amount that they otherwise would be, their amount shall be calculated for any purpose as if they had been increased in pursuance of that section or Article or, as the case may be, by that full amount.
F1(3A) In paragraphs (1) and (2), the references to a person's pension do not include any pension which is attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit.
(4) In section 106 of the Pension Schemes Act (resources for annual increase of guaranteed minimum pension)—
(a) subsections (2) to (4) are omitted, and
(b) in subsection (1), for subsection (2) or (3) substitute “Article 53 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995”.
F1 1999 NI 11
54.—(1) The first increase required by Article 51 in the rate of a pension must take effect not later than the first anniversary of the date on which the pension is first paid; and subsequent increases must take effect at intervals of not more than twelve months.
(2) Where the first such increase is to take effect on a date when the pension has been in payment for a period of less than twelve months, the increase must be of an amount at least equal to one twelfth of the amount of the increase so required (apart from this paragraph) for each complete month in that period.
(3) In Articles 51 to 53 and this Article—
annual rate, in relation to a pension, means the annual rate of the pension, as previously increased under the rules of the scheme or under Article 51,
the appointed day means the day appointed under Article 1 for the commencement of Article 51,
appropriate percentage, in relation to an increase in the whole or part of the annual rate of a pension, means the revaluation percentage for F1 the latest revaluation period specified in the order under paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Pension Schemes Act (revaluation of accrued pension benefits) which is in force at the time of the increase (expressions used in this definition having the same meaning as in that paragraph),
pension, in relation to a scheme, means any pension in payment under the scheme and includes an annuity,
reference period has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 to the Pension Schemes Act 1993F2,
revaluation order means an order under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 2 to the Pension Schemes Act,
revaluation percentage means a percentage specified for a revaluation period by a revaluation order;
revaluation period has the meaning given by paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 2 to the Pension Schemes Act.
55. In section 105 of the Pension Schemes Act (annual increase of guaranteed minimum pensions), in subsection (1) (increase in rate of that part of guaranteed minimum pension attributable to earnings factors for tax year 1988-89 and subsequent tax years) for the tax year 1988-89 and subsequent tax years substitute “the tax years in the relevant period as defined in that section”.
56.—(1) Every occupational pension scheme to which this Article applies is subject to a requirement (referred to in this Part as the minimum funding requirement) that the value of the assets of the scheme is not less than the amount of the liabilities of the scheme.
(2) This Article applies to an occupational pension scheme other than—
(a) a money purchase scheme, or
(b) a scheme falling within a prescribed class or description.
(3) For the purposes of this Article and Articles 57 to 61, the liabilities and assets to be taken into account, and their amount or value, shall be determined, calculated and verified by a prescribed person and in the prescribed manner.
(4) In calculating the value of any liabilities for those purposes, a provision of the scheme which limits the amount of its liabilities by reference to the amount of its assets is to be disregarded.
(5) In Articles 57 to 61, in relation to any occupational pension scheme to which this Article applies—
(a) the amount of the liabilities referred to in paragraph (1) is referred to as the amount of the scheme liabilities,
(b) the value of the assets referred to in that paragraph is referred as the value of the scheme assets.
(c) an actuarial valuation means a written valuation prepared and signed by the actuary of the scheme of the assets and liabilities referred to in paragraph (1), and
(d) the effective date of an actuarial valuation is the date by reference to which the assets and liabilities are valued.
57.—(1) The trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies must—
(a) obtain, within a prescribed period, an actuarial valuation and afterwards obtain such a valuation before the end of prescribed intervals, and
(b) on prescribed occasions or within prescribed periods, obtain a certificate prepared by the actuary of the scheme—
(i) stating whether or not in his opinion the contributions payable towards the scheme are adequate for the purpose of securing that the minimum funding requirement will continue to be met throughout the prescribed period or, if it appears to him that it is not met, will be met by the end of that period, and
(ii) indicating any relevant changes that have occurred since the last actuarial valuation was prepared.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the trustees or managers must—
(a) if the actuary states in such a certificate that in his opinion the contributions payable towards the scheme are not adequate for the purpose of securing that the minimum funding requirement will continue to be met throughout the prescribed period or, if it appears to him that it is not met, will be met by the end of that period, or
(b) in prescribed circumstances,
obtain an actuarial valuation within the period required by paragraph (4).
(3) In a case within paragraph (2)(a), the trustees or managers are not required to obtain an actuarial valuation if—
(a) in the opinion of the actuary of the scheme, the value of the scheme assets is not less than 90 per cent. of the amount of the scheme liabilities, and
(b) since the date on which the actuary signed the certificate referred to in that paragraph, the schedule of contributions for the scheme has been revised under Article 58(3)(b).
(4) If the trustees or managers obtain a valuation under paragraph (2) they must do so—
(a) in the case of a valuation required by sub-paragraph (a), within the period of six months beginning with the date on which the certificate was signed, and
(b) in any other case, within a prescribed period.
(5) A valuation or certificate obtained under paragraph (1) or (2) must be prepared in such manner, give such information and contain such statements as may be prescribed.
(6) The Trustees or managers must secure that any valuation or certificate obtained under this Article is made available to the employer within seven days of their receiving it.
(7) Where, in the case of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies, paragraph (1), (2) or (6) is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
58.—(1) The trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies must secure that there is prepared, maintained and revised a schedule (referred to in Articles 57 to 59 as a schedule of contributions) showing—
(a) the rates of contributions payable towards the scheme by or on behalf of the employer and the active members of the scheme, and
(b) the dates on or before which such contributions are to be paid.
(2) The schedule of contributions for a scheme must satisfy prescribed requirements.
(3) The schedule of contribution for a scheme—
(a) must be prepared before the end of a prescribed period beginning the signing of the first actuarial valuation for the scheme,
(b) may be revised where the revisions are previously agreed by the trustees or managers and the employer and any revision in the rates of contributions is certified by the actuary of the scheme, and
(c) must be revised before the end of a prescribed period beginning with the signing of each subsequent actuarial valuation.
(4) The matters shown in the schedule of contributions for a scheme—
(a) must be matters previously agreed by the trustees or managers and the employer, or
(b) if no such agreement has been made as to all the matters shown in the schedule, must be—
(i) rates of contributions determined by the trustees or managers, being such rates as in their opinion are adequate for the purpose of securing that the minimum funding requirement will continue to be met throughout the prescribed period or, if it appears to them that it is not met, will be met by the end of that period, and
(ii) other matters determined by the trustees or managers;
and the rates of contributions shown in the schedule must be certified by the actuary of the scheme.
(5) An agreement for the purposes of paragraph (4)(a) is one which is made by the trustees or managers and the employer during the prescribed period beginning with the signing of the last preceding actuarial valuation for the scheme.
(6) The actuary may not certify the rates of contributions shown in the schedule of contributions—
(a) in the case where F1 it appears to him that the minimum funding requirement was met on the prescribed date, unless he is of the opinion that the rates are adequate for the purpose of securing that the requirement will be met throughout the prescribed period, and
(b) in any other case, unless he is of the opinion that the rates are adequate for the purpose of securing that the requirement will be met by the end of that period.
(7) The Authority may in prescribed circumstances extend (or further extend) the period referred to in paragraph (6).
(8) Where, in the case of any occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies, this Article is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
F1 1999 NI 11
59.—(1) Except in prescribed circumstances, the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies must, where any amounts payable by or on behalf of the employer or the active members of the scheme in accordance with the schedule of contributions have not been paid on or before the due date, give notice of that fact, within the prescribed period, to the Authority and to the members of the scheme.
(2) Any such amounts which for the time being remain unpaid after that date (whether payable by the employer or not) shall, if not a debt due from the employer to the trustees or managers apart from this paragraph, be treated as such a debt.
(3) If, in the case of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies, it appears to the trustees or managers, at the end of any prescribed period that the minimum funding requirement is not met, they mustF1, within such further period as may be prescribed, prepare a report giving the prescribed information about the failure to meet that requirement.
(4) If, in the case of any such scheme, paragraph (1) or (3) is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
F1 1999 NI 11
60.—(1) Paragraph (2) applies where, in the case of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies, an actuarial valuation shows that, on the effective date of the valuation, the value of the scheme assets is less than 90 per cent. of the amount of the scheme liabilities (the difference shown in the valuation being referred to in this Article as the shortfall).
(2) The employer must—
(a) by making an appropriate payment to the trustees or managers, or
(b) by a prescribed method,
secure an increase in the value of the scheme assets which, taken with any contributions paid is not less than the shortfall.
(3) The required increase in that value must be secured—
(a) before the end of a prescribed period beginning with the signing of the valuation, or
(b) if the actuarial valuation was obtained by reason of such a statement in a certificate as is referred to in Article 57(2), before the end of a prescribed period beginning with the signing of the certificate.
(4) Except in prescribed circumstances, if the employer fails to secure the required increase in value before the end of the period applicable under paragraph (3), the trustees or managers must, within the period of fourteen days (or such longer period as is prescribed) beginning with the end of that period, give written notice of that fact to the Authority and to the members of the scheme.
(5) If the employer fails to secure the required increase in value before the end of the period applicable under paragraph (3), then so much of the shortfall as, at any subsequent time, has not been met by an increase in value under paragraph (2) made—
(a) by making an appropriate payment to the trustees or managers,
(b) by a prescribed method, or
(c) by contributions made before the end of that period,
shall, if not a debt due from the employer to the trustees or managers apart from this paragraph, be treated at that time as such a debt.
(6) Where an increase in value is secured by a prescribed method, the increase is to be treated for the purpose of this Article as being of an amount determined in accordance with regulations.
(7) The Authority may in prescribed circumstances extend (or further extend) the period applicable under paragraph (3).
F1(7A) In any case where—
(a) there has been a valuation by virtue of which paragraph (2) has applied in relation to a scheme, but
(b) the actuary of the scheme certifies at the time when he certifies the rates of contributions shown in the schedule of contributions for the scheme which is prepared or revised under Article 58(3) following the valuation that in his opinion F2 on the date seven days before the date on which he signs the certificate
(i) the value of the scheme assets F2 was no longer less than 90 per cent. of the amount of the scheme liabilities, or
(ii) the amount by which that value F2 was less than 90 per cent. of the amount of those liabilities ("the difference") F2 had decreased,
paragraph (2) shall cease to apply or, as the case may be, paragraphs (2) and (5) shall apply as if the shortfall were the difference on that date.
(8) If paragraph (4) is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
61. Regulations may modify Articles 56 to 60 as they apply in prescribed circumstances.
62.—(1) An occupational pension scheme which does not contain an equal treatment rule shall be treated as including one.
(2) An equal treatment rule is a rule which relates to the terms on which—
(a) persons become members of the scheme, and
(b) members of the scheme are treated.
(3) Subject to paragraph (6), an equal treatment rule has the effect that where—
(a) a woman is employed on like work with a man in the same employment,
(b) a woman is employed on work rated as equivalent with that of a man in the same employment, or
(c) a woman is employed on work which, not being work in relation to which sub-paragraph (a) or (b) applies, is, in terms of the demands made on her (for instance under such headings as effort, skill and decision) or equal value to that of a man in the same employment,
but (apart from the rule) any of the terms referred to in paragraph (2) is or becomes less favourable to the woman than it is to the man, the term shall be treated as so modified as not to be less favourable.
(4) An equal treatment rule does not operate in relation to any difference as between a woman and a man in the operation of any of the terms referred to in paragraph (2) if the trustees or managers of the scheme prove that the difference is genuinely due to a material factor which—
(a) is not the difference of sex, but
(b) is a material difference between the woman's case and the man's case.
(5) References in paragraph (4) and Articles 63 to 65 to the terms referred to in paragraph (2), or the effect of any of those terms, include—
(a) a term which confers on the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme, or any other person, a discretion which, in a case within any of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph (3)—
(i) may be exercised so as to affect the way in which persons become members of the scheme, or members of the scheme are treated, and
(ii) may (apart from the equal treatment rule) be so exercised in a way less favourable to the woman than to the man, and
(b) the effect of any exercise of such a discretion;
and references to the terms on which members of the scheme are treated are to be read accordingly.
(6) In the case of a term within paragraph (5)(a) the effect of an equal treatment rule is that the term shall be treated as so modified as not to permit the discretion to be exercised in a way less favourable to the woman than to the man.
63.—(1) The reference in Article 62(2) to the terms on which members of a scheme are treated includes those terms as they have effect for the benefit of dependants of members, and the reference in Article 62(5) to the way in which members of a scheme are treated includes the way they are treated as it has effect for the benefit of dependants of members.
(2) Where the effect of any of the terms referred to in Article 62(2) on persons of the same sex differs according to their family or marital status, the effect of the term is to be compared for the purposes of Article 62 with its effect on persons of the other sex who have the same status.
(3) An equal treatment rule has effect subject to paragraphs 5 and 6 of Schedule 5 to the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F1 (employment-related benefit schemes: maternity and family leave provisions).
(4) Article 62 shall be construed as one with section 1 of the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970F2 (requirement of equal treatment for men and women in the same employment); and sections 2 and 2A of that Act (disputes and enforcement) shall have effect for the purposes of Article 62 as if—
(a) references to an equality clause were to an equal treatment rule,
(b) references to employers and employees were to the trustees or managers of the scheme (on the one hand) and the members, or prospective members, of the scheme (on the other),
(c) for section 2(4) there were substituted—
“(4) No claim in respect of the operation of an equal treatment rule in respect of an occupational pension scheme shall be referred to an industrial tribunal otherwise than by virtue of subsection (3) unless the woman concerned has been employed in a description or category of employment to which the scheme relates within the six months preceding the date of the reference.”
, and
(d) references to section 1(2)(c) were to Article 62(3)(c).
(5) Regulations may make provision for the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970F3 to have effect, in relation to an equal treatment rule, with prescribed modifications; and paragraph (4) shall have effect subject to any regulations made by virtue of this paragraph.
(6) Article 62, so far as it relates to the terms on which members of a scheme are treated, is to be treated as having had effect in relation to any pensionable service on or after 17th May 1990.
64.—(1) An equal treatment rule does not operate in relation to any variation as between a woman and a man in the effect of any of the terms referred to in Article 62(2) if the variation is permitted by or under any of the provisions of this Article.
(2) Where a man and a woman are eligible, in prescribed circumstances, to receive different amounts by way of pension, the variation is permitted by this paragraph if, in prescribed circumstances, the differences are attributable only to differences between men and women in the benefits under sections 43 to 55 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (state retirement pensions) to which, in prescribed circumstances, they are or would be entitled.
(3) A variation is permitted by this paragraph if—
(a) the variation consists of the application of actuarial factors which differ for men and women to the calculation of contributions to a scheme by employers, being factors which fall within a prescribed class or description, or
(b) the variation consists of the application of actuarial factors which differ for men and women to the determination benefits falling within a prescribed class or description;
and in this paragraph benefits include any payment or other benefit made to or in respect of a person as a member of the scheme.
(4) Regulations may—
(a) permit further variations, or
(b) amend or repeal paragraph (2) or (3);
and regulations made by virtue of this paragraph may have effect in relation to pensionable service on or after 17th May 1990 and before the date on which the regulations are made.
65.—(1) The trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme may, if—
(a) they do not (apart from this Article) have power to make such alterations to the scheme as may be required to secure conformity with an equal treatment rule, or
(b) they have such power, but the procedure for doing so—
(i) is liable to be unduly complex or protracted, or
(ii) involves the obtaining of consents which cannot be obtained, or can only be obtained with undue delay or difficulty,
by resolution make such alterations to the scheme.
(2) The alterations may have effect in relation to a period before the alterations are made.
66.—(1) In section 6 of the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970F1 (exclusions), for subsections (1A) and (2) (exclusion for terms related to death or retirement) substitute—
“(1B) An equality clause shall not operate in relation to terms relating to a person's membership of, or rights under, an occupational pension scheme, being terms in relation to which, by reason only of any provision made by or under Articles 62 to 64 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (equal treatment), an equal treatment rule would not operate if the terms were included in the scheme.
(1C) In subsection (1B), occupational pension scheme has the same meaning as in the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 and equal treatment rule has the meaning given by Article 62 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.”.
(2) In Article 6(1) of the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976F2 (victimisation of complainants, etc.)—
(a) in sub-paragraphs (a) to (c), after Equal Pay Act insert “or Articles 62 to 65 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995”, and
(b) at the end of sub-paragraph (d) add or under Articles 62 to 65 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
(3) In Article 8 of the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 (discrimination against applicants and employees), for paragraph (4) substitute—
“(4) Paragraphs (1)(b) and (2) do not render it unlawful for a person to discriminate against a woman in relation to her membership of, or rights under, an occupational pension scheme in such a way that, were any term of the scheme to provide for discrimination in that way, then, by reason only of any provision made by or under Articles 62 to 64 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (equal treatment), an equal treatment rule would not operate in relation to that term.
(4A) In paragraph (4), occupational pension scheme has the same meaning as in the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 and equal treatment rule has the meaning given by Article 62 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.”
(4) Regulations may make provision—
(a) for the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970F3 to have effect, in relation to terms of employment relating to membership of, or rights under, an occupational pension scheme with prescribed modifications, and
(b) for imposing requirements on employers as to the payment of contributions and otherwise in case of their failing or having failed to comply with any such terms.
(5) References in paragraph (4) to terms of employment include (where the context permits)—
(a) any collective agreement or pay structure, and
(b) an agricultural wages order within section 5 of the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970F4.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
66A.—(1) This Article applies where an occupational pension scheme contains provisions contravening paragraph (2) or (3).
(2) Except so far as regulations otherwise provide, provisions of an occupational pension scheme contravene this paragraph to the extent that they would (apart from this Article) have an effect with respect to—
(a) the entitlement of any person to benefits under the scheme, or
(b) the payment to any person of benefits under the scheme,
which would be different according to whether or not a place outside the United Kingdom is specified by that person as the place to which he requires payments of benefits under the scheme to be made to him.
(3) Except so far as regulations otherwise provide, provisions of an occupational pension scheme contravene this paragraph to the extent that they would (apart from this Article) have an effect with respect to—
(a) the entitlement of any person to remain a member of the scheme,
(b) the eligibility of any person to remain a person by or in respect of whom contributions are made towards or under the scheme, or
(c) the making by or in respect of any person who is a member of the scheme of any contributions towards or under the scheme,
which would be different according to whether that person works wholly in the United Kingdom or wholly or partly outside the United Kingdom.
(4) Provisions contravening paragraph (2) shall have effect, in relation to all times after the coming into operation of section 51 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000, as if they made the same provision in relation to a person who requires payments of benefits to be made to a place outside the United Kingdom as they make in relation to a person in whose case all payments of benefits fall to be made to a place in the United Kingdom.
(5) Provisions contravening paragraph (3) shall have effect, in relation to all times after the coming into operation of section 51 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000, as if they made the same provision in relation to persons working wholly or partly outside the United Kingdom as they make in relation to persons working wholly in the United Kingdom.
(6) This Article—
(a) shall be without prejudice to any statutory provision under which any amount is to be or may be deducted, or treated as deducted, from amounts payable by way of benefits under the scheme or treated as so payable; and
(b) shall not apply in relation to so much of any provision of a scheme as is required for securing compliance with the conditions of any approval, exemption or relief given or available under the Tax Acts.
67.—(1) This Article applies to any power conferred on any person by an occupational pension scheme (other than a public service pension scheme) to modify the scheme.
(2) The power cannot be exercised on any occasion in a manner which would or might affect any entitlement, F1 accrued right or pension credit right of any member of the scheme acquired before the power is exercised unless the requirements under paragraph (3) are satisfied.
(3) Those requirements are that, in respect of the exercise of the power in that manner on that occasion—
(a) the trustees have satisfied themselves that—
(i) the certification requirements, or
(ii) the consent requirements,
are met in respect of that member, and
(b) where the power is exercised by a person other than the trustees, the trustees have approved the exercise of the power in that manner on that occasion.
(4) In paragraph (3)—
(a) the certification requirements means prescribed requirements for the purpose of securing that no power to which this Article applies is exercised in any manner which, in the opinion of an actuary, would adversely affect any member of the scheme (without his consent) in respect of his entitlement, F1 accrued rights or pension credit rights, acquired before the power is exercised, and
(b) the consent requirements means prescribed requirements for the purpose of obtaining the consent of members of a scheme to the exercise of a power to which this Article applies.
F1(5) Paragraph (2) does not apply to the exercise of a power—
(a) for a purpose connected with debits under Article 26(1)(a) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, or
(b) in a prescribed manner.
(6) Where a power to which this Article applies may not (apart from this Article) be exercised without the consent of any person, regulations may make provision for treating such consent as given in prescribed circumstances.
F1 1999 NI 11
68.—(1) The trustees of a trust scheme may by resolution modify the scheme with a view to achieving any of the purposes specified in paragraph (2).
(2) The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are—
(a) to extend the class of persons who may receive benefits under the scheme in respect of the death of a member of the scheme,
(b) to enable the scheme to conform with such arrangements as are required by Article 16(1) or F2 17(2),
(c) to enable the scheme to comply with such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Compensation Board in relation to any payment made by them under Article 81 or 82,
(d) to enable the scheme to conform with Article 37(2), 76(2), 89 or 90,
F1(da) to enable the scheme to accommodate persons with pension credits or pension credit rights, and
(e) prescribed purposes.
(3) No modification may be made by virtue of paragraph (2)(a) without the consent of the employer.
(4) Modifications made by virtue of paragraph (2)(b) may include in particular—
(a) modification of any limit on the number of, or of any category of, trustees, or
(b) provision for the transfer or vesting of property.
(5) Regulations may provide that this Article does not apply to trust schemes falling within a prescribed class or description.
69.—(1) The Authority may, on an application made to them by persons competent to do so, make an order in respect of an occupational pension scheme (other than a public service pension scheme)—
(a) authorising the modification of the scheme with a view to achieving any of the purposes mentioned in paragraph (3), or
(b) modifying the scheme with a view to achieving any such purpose.
(2) Regulations may make provision about the manner of dealing with applications under this Article.
(3) The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are—
(a) in the case of a scheme to which Schedule 22 to the Taxes Act 1988F1 (reduction of pension fund surpluses in certain exempt approved schemes) applies, to reduce or eliminate on any particular occasion any excess in accordance with any proposal submitted under paragraph 3(1) of that Schedule, where any requirements mentioned in Article 37(4), and any other prescribed requirements, will be satisfied in relation to the reduction or elimination,
(b) in the case of an exempt approved scheme (within the meaning given by section 592(1) of the Taxes Act 1988) which is being wound up, to enable assets remaining after the liabilities of the scheme have been fully discharged to be distributed to the employer, where prescribed requirements in relation to the distribution are satisfied, or
(c) to enable the scheme to be so treated during a prescribed period that an employment to which the scheme applies may be contracted-out employment by reference to it.
(4) The persons competent to make an application under this Article are—
(a) in the case of the purposes referred to in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) of paragraph (3), the trustees of the scheme, and
(b) in the case of the purposes referred to in sub-paragraph (c) of that paragraph—
(i) the trustees or managers of the scheme,
(ii) the employer, or
(iii) any person other than the trustees or managers who has power to alter the rules of the scheme.
(5) An order under paragraph (1)(a) must be framed—
(a) if made with a view to achieving either of the purposes referred to in paragraph (3)(a) or (b), so as to confer the power of modification on the trustees, and
(b) if made with a view to achieving the purposes referred to in paragraph (3)(c), so as to confer the power of modification on such persons (who may include persons who were not parties to the application made to the Authority) as the Authority think appropriate.
(6) Regulations may provide that in prescribed circumstances this Article does not apply to occupational pension schemes falling within a prescribed class or description or applies to them with prescribed modifications.
F1 1988 c. 1
70.—(1) The Authority may not make an order under Article 69 unless they are satisfied that the purposes for which the application for the order was made—
(a) cannot be achieved otherwise than by means of such an order, or
(b) can only be achieved in accordance with a procedure which—
(i) is liable to be unduly complex or protracted, or
(ii) involves the obtaining of consents which cannot be obtained, or can only be obtained with undue delay or difficulty.
(2) The extent of the Authority's powers to make such an order is not limited, in relation to any purposes for which they are exercisable, to the minimum necessary to achieve those purposes.
(3) The Authority may not make an order under Article 69 with a view to achieving the purpose referred to in paragraph (3)(c) of that Article unless they are satisfied that it is reasonable in all the circumstances to make it.
71.—(1) An order under sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1) of Article 69 may enable those exercising any power conferred by the order to exercise it retrospectively (whether or not the power could otherwise be so exercised) and an order under sub-paragraph (b) of that paragaph may modify a scheme retrospectively.
(2) Any modification of a scheme made in pursuance of an order of the Authority under Article 69 is as effective in law as if it had been made under powers conferred by or under the scheme.
(3) An order under Article 69 may be made and complied with in relation to a scheme—
(a) in spite of any enactment or rule of law, or any rule of the scheme, which would otherwise operate to prevent the modification being made, or
(b) without regard to any such enactment, rule of law or rule of the scheme as would otherwise require, or might otherwise be taken to require, the implementation of any procedure or the obtaining of any consent, with a view to the making of the modification.
(4) In this Article, retrospectively means with effect from a date before that on which the power is exercised or, as the case may be, the order is made.
71A.—(1) The Authority may at any time while—
(a) an occupational pension scheme is being wound up, and
(b) the employer in relation to the scheme is subject to an insolvency procedure,
make an order modifying that scheme with a view to ensuring that it is properly wound up.
(2) The Authority shall not make such an order except on an application made to them, at a time such as is mentioned in paragraph (1), by the trustees or managers of the scheme.
(3) Except in so far as regulations otherwise provide, an application for the purposes of this Article must be made in writing.
(4) Regulations may make provision—
(a) for the form and manner in which an application for the purposes of this Article is to be made to the Authority,
(b) for the matters which are to be contained in such an application,
(c) for the documents which must be attached to an application for the purposes of this Article or which must otherwise be delivered to the Authority with or in connection with any such application,
(d) for persons to be required, before such time as may be prescribed, to give such notifications of the making of an application for the purposes of this Article as may be prescribed,
(e) for the matters which are to be contained in a notification of such an application,
(f) for persons to have the opportunity, for a prescribed period, to make representations to the Authority about the matters to which such an application relates,
(g) for the manner in which the Authority are to deal with any such application.
(5) The power of the Authority to make an order under this Article—
(a) shall be limited to what they consider to be the minimum modification necessary to enable the scheme to be properly wound up, and
(b) shall not include power to make any modification that would have a significant adverse effect on—
(i) the accrued rights of any member of the scheme, or
(ii) any person's entitlement under the scheme to receive any benefit.
(6) A modification of an occupational pension scheme by an order of the Authority under this Article shall be as effective in law as if—
(a) it had been made under powers conferred by or under the scheme,
(b) the modification made by the order were capable of being made in exercise of such powers notwithstanding any enactment, rule of law or rule of the scheme that would have prevented their exercise for the making of that modification, and
(c) the exercise of such powers for the making of that modification would not have been subject to any enactment, rule of law or rule of the scheme requiring the implementation of any procedure or the obtaining of any consent in connection with the making of a modification.
(7) Regulations may provide that, in prescribed circumstances, this Article—
(a) does not apply in the case of occupational pension schemes of a prescribed class or description, or
(b) in the case of occupational pension schemes of a prescribed class or description applies with prescribed modifications.
(8) The times when an employer in relation to an occupational pension scheme shall be taken for the purposes of this Article to be subject to an insolvency procedure are—
(a) in the case of a trust scheme, while Article 22 applies in relation to the scheme, and
(b) in the case of a scheme that is not a trust scheme, while Article 22 would apply in relation to the scheme if it were a trust scheme,
and for the purposes of this paragraph no account shall be taken of modifications or exclusions contained in any regulations under Article 115.
(9) The Authority shall not be entitled to make an order under this Article in relation to a public service pension scheme.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
72.—(1) The appropriate authority may make such provision for the modification of a public service pension scheme as could be made in respect of a scheme, other than a public service pension scheme, by an order of the Authority under Article 69(1)(b).
(2) In this Article, the appropriate authority, in relation to a scheme, means such Minister of the Crown or government department as may be designated by the Treasury or the Department of Finance and Personnel as having responsibility for the particular scheme.
(3) The powers of the appropriate authority under this Article are exercisable by means of an order—
(a) directly modifying the scheme (without regard, in the case of a scheme contained in or made under powers conferred by an enactment, to the terms of the enactment or any of its restrictions), or
(b) modifying an enactment under which the scheme was made or by virtue of which it has effect.
(4) Any such order may adapt, amend or repeal any such enactment as is referred to in paragraph (3)(a) or(b) as the appropriate authority thinks appropriate.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
72A.—(1) Where—
(a) an occupational pension scheme is being wound up, and
(b) the winding-up is one beginning at a time (whether before or after the making of this Order) by reference to which regulations provide that it is to be a winding-up to which this Article applies,
it shall be the duty of the trustees or managers, in accordance with this Article, to make periodic reports in writing to the Authority about the progress of the winding-up.
(2) In the case of each winding-up, the first report to be made under this Article shall be made—
(a) except in a case to which sub-paragraph (b) applies—
(i) after the end of the prescribed period beginning with the day on which the winding-up began, and
(ii) before the end of the prescribed period that begins with the end of the period that applies for the purposes of head (i), and
(b) in a case where the winding-up began before the coming into operation of the regulations which (for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)) prescribe the time by reference to which the winding-up is one to which this Article applies, before such date as may be prescribed by those regulations.
(3) F2Each subsequent report made under this Article in the case of a winding-up shall be made no more than twelve months after the date which F2 was the latest date for the making of the previous report required to be made in the case of that winding-up.F2 F2 F2
(7) A report under this Article—
(a) shall contain such information and statements as may be prescribed, and
(b) shall be made in accordance with the prescribed requirements.
(8) Regulations may—
(a) provide that, in prescribed circumstances, there shall be no obligation to make a report that would otherwise fall to be made under this Article,F2 F2
(9) If there is any failure by the trustees or managers of any scheme to comply with their duty to make a report in accordance with the requirements imposed by or under this Article—
(a) Article 3 applies, if the scheme is a trust scheme, to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies (irrespective of the description of scheme involved) to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
72B.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, the Authority shall have power, at any time after the winding-up of an occupational pension scheme has begun, to give directions under this Article if they consider that the giving of the direction is appropriate on any of the grounds set out in paragraph (2).
(2) Those grounds are—
(a) that the trustees or managers of the scheme are not taking all the steps in connection with the winding-up that the Authority consider would be being taken if the trustees or managers were acting reasonably,
(b) that steps being taken by the trustees or managers for the purposes of the winding-up involve things being done with what the Authority consider to be unreasonable delay,
(c) that the winding-up is being obstructed or unreasonably delayed by the failure of any person—
(i) to provide information to the trustees or managers,
(ii) to provide information to a person involved in the administration of the scheme,
(iii) to provide information to a person of a prescribed description, or
(iv) to take any step (other than the provision of information) that he has been asked to take by the trustees or managers,
(d) that the winding-up would be likely to be facilitated or accelerated by the taking by any person other than the trustees or managers of any other steps,
(e) that in any prescribed circumstances not falling within sub-paragraphs (a) to (d)—
(i) the provision by any person of any information to the trustees or managers or to any other person, or
(ii) the taking of any other step by any person,
would be likely to facilitate or accelerate the progress of the winding-up.
(3) Except in prescribed circumstances, the power of the Authority to give a direction under this Article in the case of a winding-up shall be exercisable only where—
(a) periodic reports about the progress of the winding-up are required to be made under Article 72A, and
(b) the first report that has to be made for the purposes of that Article in the case of that winding-up either has been made or should have been made.
(4) Regulations may provide that, in prescribed circumstances, the Authority shall not give a direction on the ground set out in paragraph (2)(e) except in response to an application made by the trustees or managers of the scheme for the giving of a direction on that ground.
(5) A direction under this Article is a direction in writing given to and imposing requirements on—
(a) any or all of the trustees or managers of the scheme,
(b) a person who is involved in its administration, or
(c) a person of a prescribed description.
(6) The requirements that may be imposed by a direction under this Article are any requirement for the person to whom it is given, within such period specified in the direction as the Authority may consider reasonable—
(a) to provide the trustees or managers with all such information as may be specified or described in the direction,
(b) to provide a person involved in the administration of the scheme with all such information as may be so specified or described,
(c) to provide a person who is of a prescribed description with all such information as may be so specified or described,
(d) to take such steps (other than the provision of information) as may be so specified or described.
(7) If, at any time before the end of a period within which any step is required by a direction under this Article to be taken by any person, the Authority consider (whether on an application made for the purpose or otherwise) that it would be appropriate to do so, they may extend (or further extend) that period until such time as they think fit.
(8) Regulations may—
(a) impose limitations on the steps that a person may be required to take by a direction under this Article,
(b) make provision for the period within which, and the manner in which, applications may be made for a period to be extended (or further extended) under paragraph (7).
(9) In this Article references, in relation to a scheme, to a person involved in the administration of the scheme are (subject to paragraph (10)) references to any person who is so involved otherwise than as—
(a) the employer in relation to that scheme,
(b) a trustee or manager of the scheme,
(c) the auditor of the scheme or its actuary,
(d) a legal adviser of the trustees or managers of the scheme,
(e) a fund manager for the scheme,
(f) a person acting on behalf of a person who is involved in the administration of the scheme,
(g) a person providing services to a person so involved,
(h) a person acting in his capacity as an employee of a person so involved,
(i) a person who would fall within any of sub-paragraphs (f) to (h) if persons acting in relation to the scheme in any capacity mentioned in the preceding sub-paragraphs were treated as involved in the administration of a scheme.
(10) In this Article references, in relation to a scheme, to a person involved in the administration of the scheme do not include references to persons of a particular description if regulations provide for persons of that description to be excluded from those references.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
72C.—(1) It shall be the duty of any person to whom a direction is given under Article 72B to comply with it.
(2) Where a direction is given under Article 72B to the trustees of a trust scheme, Article 3 applies to any trustee who fails, without reasonable excuse, to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance with it.
(3) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager of a scheme who fails, without reasonable excuse, to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance by the trustees or managers of that scheme with any direction given to them under Article 72B.
(4) Article 10 applies to any person who—
(a) is a person to whom a direction under Article 72B is given otherwise than in the capacity of a trustee or manager, and
(b) without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with that direction.
(5) For the purposes of this Article it shall not be a reasonable excuse in relation to any failure to provide information in pursuance of a direction under Article 72B that the provision of that information would (but for the duty imposed by paragraph (1) of this Article) involve a breach by any person of a duty owed to another not to disclose that information.
73.—(1) This Article applies, where a salary related occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies is being wound up, to determine the order in which the assets of the scheme are to be applied towards satisfying the liabilities in respect of pensions and other benefits (including increases in pensions).
(2) The assets of the scheme must be applied first towards satisfying the amounts of the liabilities mentioned in paragraph (3) and, if the assets are insufficient to satisfy those amounts in full, then—
(a) the assets must be applied first towards satisfying the amounts of the liabilities mentioned in earlier sub-paragraphs of paragraph (3) before the amounts of the liabilities mentioned in later sub-paragraphs, and
(b) where the amounts of the liabilities mentioned in one of those sub-paragraphs cannot be satisfied in full, those amounts must be satisfied in the same proportions.
(3) The liabilities referred to in paragraph (2) are—
(a) any liability for pensions or other benefits which, in the opinion of the trustees, are derived from the payment by any member of the scheme of voluntary contributions,
(b) where a person's entitlement to payment of pension or other benefits has arisen, liability for that pension or benefit and for any pension or other benefit which will be payable to dependants of that person on his death (but excluding increases to pensions),
(c) any liability for—
(i) pensions or other benefits which have accrued to or in respect of any members of the scheme (but excluding increases to pensions), or
F1(ia) future pensions, or other future benefits, attributable (directly or indirectly) to pension credits (but excluding increases to pensions),
(ii) (in respect of members with less than two years pensionable service) the return of contributions,
(d) any liability for increases to pensions referred to in sub-paragraphs (b) and (c);
and, for the purposes of paragraph (2), the amounts of the liabilities mentioned in sub-paragraphs (b) to (d) are to be taken to be the amounts calculated and verified in the prescribed manner.
F1(3A) No pension or other benefit which is attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit may be regarded for the purposes of paragraph (3)(a) as derived from the payment of voluntary contributions.
(4) To the extent that any liabilities, as calculated in accordance with the rules of the scheme, have not been satisfied under paragraph (2), any remaining assets of the scheme must then be applied towards satisfying those liabilities (as so calculated) in the order provided for in the rules of the scheme.
(5) If the scheme confers power on any person other than the trustees or managers to apply the assets of the scheme in respect of pensions or other benefits (including increases in pensions), it cannot be exercised by that person but may be exercised instead by the trustees or managers.
(6) If this Article is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
(7) Regulations may modify paragraph (3).
(8) This Article does not apply to an occupational pension scheme falling within a prescribed class or description.
(9) This Article has effect with prescribed modifications in cases where part of a salary related occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies is being wound up.
F1 1999 NI 11
74.—(1) This Article applies where a salary related occupational pension scheme to which Article 56 applies, other than a scheme falling within a prescribed class or description, is being wound up.
(2) A liability to or in respect of a member of the scheme in respect of pensions or other benefits (including increases in pensions) is to be treated as discharged (to the extent that it would not be so treated apart from this Article) if the trustees or managers of the scheme have, in accordance with prescribed arrangements, provided for the discharge of the liability in one or more of the ways mentioned in paragraph (3).
(3) The ways referred to in paragraph (2) are—
(a) by acquiring transfer credits allowed under the rules of another occupational pension scheme which satisfies prescribed requirements and the trustees or managers of which are able and willing to accept payment in respect of the member,
(b) by acquiring rights allowed under the rules of a personal pension scheme which satisfies prescribed requirements and the trustees or managers of which are able and willing to accept payment in respect of the member's accrued rightsF1 or pension credit rights,
(c) by purchasing one or more annuities which satisfy prescribed requirements from one or more F2 insurers, being companies willing to accept payment in respect of the member from the trustees or managers,
(d) by subscribing to other pension arrangements which satisfy prescribed requirements.
(4) If the assets of the scheme are insufficient to satisfy in full the liabilities, as calculated in accordance with the rules of the scheme, in respect of pensions and other benefits (including increases in pensions), the reference in paragraph (2) to providing for the discharge of any liability in one or more of the ways mentioned in paragraph (3) is to applying any amount available, in accordance with Article 73, in one or more of those ways.
(5) Regulations may provide for this Article—
(a) to have effect in relation to so much of any liability as may be determined in accordance with the regulations, or
(b) to have effect with prescribed modifications in relation to schemes falling within a prescribed class or description.
75.—(1) If, in the case of an occupational pension scheme which is not a money purchase scheme, the value at the applicable time of the assets of the scheme is less than the amount at that time of the liabilities of the scheme, an amount equal to the difference shall be treated as a debt due from the employer to the trustees or managers of the scheme.
(2) If in the case of an occupational pension scheme which is not a money purchase scheme—
(a) a relevant insolvency event occurs in relation to the employer, and
(b) a debt due from the employer under paragraph (1) has not been discharged at the time that event occurs,
the debt in question shall be taken, for the purposes of the law relating to winding up or bankruptcy as it applies in relation to the employer, to arise immediately before that time.
(3) In this Article, the applicable time means—
(a) if the scheme is being wound up before a relevant insolvency event occurs in relation to the employer, any time when it is being wound up before such an event occurs, and
(b) otherwise, immediately before the relevant insolvency event occurs.
(4) For the purposes of this Article a relevant insolvency event occurs in relation to the employer—
(a) where the employer is a company, when it goes into liquidation, within the meaning of Article 6(2) of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F1, or
(b) where the employer is an individual, at the commencement of his bankruptcy, within the meaning of Article 252 of that Order.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the liabilities and assets to be taken into account, and their amount or value, must be determined, calculated and verified by a prescribed person and in the prescribed manner.
(6) In calculating the value of any liabilities for those purposes, a provision of the scheme which limits the amount of its liabilities by reference to the amount of its assets is to be disregarded.
(7) This Article does not prejudice any other right or remedy which the trustees or managers may have in respect of a deficiency in the scheme's assets.
(8) A debt due by virtue only of this Article shall not be regarded as a preferential debt for the purposes of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F2.
(9) This Article does not apply to an occupational pension scheme falling within a prescribed class or description.
(10) Regulations may modify this Article as it applies in prescribed circumstances.
76.—(1) This Article applies to a trust scheme in any circumstances if—
(a) it is an exempt approved scheme, within the meaning given by section 592(1) of the Taxes Act 1988F1,
(b) the scheme is being wound up, and
(c) in those circumstances, power is conferred on the employer or the trustees to distribute assets to the employer on a winding up.
(2) The power referred to in paragraph (1)(c) cannot be exercised unless the requirements of paragraphs (3) and (in prescribed circumstances) (4), and any prescribed requirements, are satisfied.
(3) The requirements of this paragraph are that—
(a) the liabilities of the scheme have been fully discharged,
(b) where there is any power under the scheme, after the discharge of those liabilities, to distribute assets to any person other than the employer, the power has been exercised or a decision has been made not to exercise it,
(c) the annual rates of the pensions under the scheme which commence or have commenced are increased by the appropriate percentage, and
(d) notice has been given in accordance with prescribed requirements to the members of the scheme of the proposal to exercise the power.
(4) The requirements of this paragraph are that the Authority are of the opinion that—
(a) any requirements prescribed by virtue of paragraph (2) are satisfied, and
(b) the requirements of paragraph (3) are satisfied.
(5) In paragraph (3)—
(a) annual rate and appropriate percentage have the same meaning as in Article 54, and
(b) pension does not include—
(i) any guaranteed minimum pension (as defined in section 4(2) of the Pension Schemes Act) or any increase in such a pension under section 105 of that Act, or
(ii) any money purchase benefit (as defined in section 176(1) of that Act).
(6) If, where this Article applies to any trust scheme, the trustees purport to exercise the power referred to in paragraph (1)(c) without complying with the requirements of this Article, Articles 3 and 10 apply to any of them who have failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(7) If, where this Article applies to any trust scheme, any person other than the trustees purports to exercise the power referred to in paragraph (1)(c) without complying with the requirements of this Article, Article 10 applies to him.
(8) Regulations may provide that, in prescribed circumstances, this Article does not apply to schemes falling within a prescribed class or description, or applies to them with prescribed modifications.
F1 1988 c. 1
77.—(1) This Article applies to a trust scheme in any circumstances if—
(a) it is an exempt approved scheme, within the meaning given by section 592(1) of the Taxes Act 1988F2,
(b) the scheme is being wound up,
(c) the liabilities of the scheme have been fully discharged,
(d) where there is any power under the scheme, after the discharge of those liabilities, to distribute assets to any person other than the employer, the power has been exercised or a decision has been made not to exercise it,
(e) any assets remain undistributed, and
(f) the scheme prohibits the distribution of assets to the employer in those circumstances.
(2) The annual rates of the pensions under the scheme which commence or have commenced must be increased by the appropriate percentage, so far as the value of the undistributed assets allows.
(3) In paragraph (2)—
(a) annual rate and appropriate percentage have the same meaning as in Article 54, and
(b) pension does not include—
(i) any guaranteed minimum pension (as defined in section 4(2) of the Pension Schemes Act) or any increase in such a pension under section 105 of that Act, or
(ii) any money purchase benefit (as defined in section 176(1) of that Act).
(4) Where any assets remain undistributed after the discharge of the trustees' duty under paragraph (2)—
(a) the trustees must use those assets for the purpose of providing additional benefits or increasing the value of any benefits, but subject to prescribed limits, and
(b) the trustees may then distribute those assets (so far as undistributed) to the employer.
(5) If, where this Article applies to a trust scheme, the requirements of this Article are not complied with, F1 Articles 3 and 10 apply to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(6) Regulations may modify this Article as it applies in prescribed circumstances.
78.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (4), any determination by the Compensation Board of a question which it is within their functions to determine shall be final.
(2) The Compensation Board may on the application of a person appearing to them to be interested—
(a) at any time review any such determination of theirs as is mentioned in paragraph (1) (including a determination given by them on a previous review), if they are satisfied that there has been a relevant change of circumstances since the determination was made, or that the determination was made in ignorance of a material fact or based on a mistake as to a material fact or was erroneous in point of law, and
(b) at any time within a period of three months from the date of the determination, or within such longer period as they may allow in any particular case, review such a determination on any ground.
(3) The Compensation Board's powers on a review under this Article include power—
(a) to vary or revoke any determination previously made,
(b) to substitute a different determination, and
(c) generally to deal with the matters arising on the review as if they had arisen on the original determination;
and also include power to make savings and transitional provisions.
F1(4) Nothing in section 80(4) of the Pensions Act 1995F2 shall be taken to prevent a review under this Article being entered upon by the Compensation Board without an application being made.
79.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this Article applies to an application for compensation under Article 80 in respect of an occupational pension scheme if all the following conditions are met—
(a) the scheme is a trust scheme,
(b) the employer is insolvent,
(c) the value of the assets of the scheme has been reduced, and there are reasonable grounds for believing that the reduction was attributable to an act or omission constituting a prescribed offence,
(d) in the case of a salary related trust scheme, immediately before the date of the application the value of the assets of the scheme is less than F1 the protection level, and
(e) it is reasonable in all the circumstances that the members of the scheme should be assisted by the Compensation Board paying to the trustees of the scheme, out of funds for the time being held by them, an amount determined in accordance with the compensation provisions.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in respect of a trust scheme falling within a prescribed class or description; and paragraph (1)(c) applies only to reductions in value since the appointed day.
F2(2A) In paragraph (1)(d) the protection level means the aggregate of—
(a) the amount of the liabilities of the scheme to, or in respect of, its pensioner members and such other of its members as fall within a prescribed class or description,
(b) 90 per cent. of the amount of the liabilities of the scheme to, or in respect of, any other members of the scheme, and
(c) the amount of the liabilities of the scheme which are not liabilities to, or in respect of, its members;
and references in this paragraph to liabilities to, or in respect of, members of the scheme are references to liabilities in respect of pensions or other benefits.
(3) In this Part, the compensation provisions means the provisions of this Article and Articles 80 to 83; and in the compensation provisions as they relate to a trust scheme—
(a) the application date means the date of the application for compensation under Article 80,
(b) the appointed day means the day appointed under Article 1 for the commencement of this Article,
(c) the insolvency date means the date on which the employer became insolvent,
(d) the settlement date means the date determined by the Compensation Board, after consulting the trustees, to be the date after which further recoveries of value are unlikely to be obtained without disproportionate cost or within a reasonable time,
(e) the shortfall at the application date means the amount of the reduction falling within paragraph (1)(c) or (if there was more than one such reduction) the aggregate of the reductions, being the amount or aggregate immediately before the application date,
(f) recovery of value means any increase in the value of the assets of the scheme, being an increase attributable to any payment received (otherwise than from the Compensation Board) by the trustees of the scheme in respect of any act or omission—
(i) which there are reasonable grounds for believing constituted a prescribed offence, and
(ii) to which any reduction in value falling within paragraph (1)(c) was attributable.
(4) It is for the Compensation Board to determine whether anything received by the trustees of the scheme is to be treated as a payment received for any such act or omission as is referred to in paragraph (3)(f); and in this Article payment includes any money or money's worth.
(5) Where this Article applies to an application for compensation under Article 80, the trustees must obtain any recoveries of value, to the extent that they may do so without disproportionate cost and within a reasonable time.
(6) If paragraph (5) is not complied with, Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance.
(7) Article 56(3) and (4) applies for the purposes of the compensation provisions a it applies for the purposes of Articles 56 to 61.
(8) Section 119 of the Pension Schemes Act (meaning of insolvency) applies for the purposes of the compensation provisions as it applies for the purposes of Chapter II of Part VII of that Act (unpaid scheme contributions).
80.—(1) Compensation may be paid under Article 81 only on an application to which Article 79 applies made within the qualifying period by a prescribed person.
(2) An application under this Article must be made in the manner, and give the information, required by the Compensation Board.
(3) For the purposes of this Article the qualifying period, subject to paragraph (5), is the period expiring with the period of twelve months mentioned in paragraph (4).
(4) The period of twelve months referred to in paragraph (3) is that beginning with the later of the following times—
(a) the insolvency date,
(b) when the auditor or actuary of the scheme, or the trustees, knew or ought reasonably to have known that a reduction of value falling within Article 79(1)(c) had occurred,
being, in each case, a time after the appointed day.
(5) The Compensation Board may extend, or further extend, the qualifying period.
81.—(1) Where, in the opinion of the Compensation Board, Article 79 applies to an application for compensation under Article 80 in respect of a trust scheme, and the Board have determined the settlement date, the Board may make a payment or payments to the trustees of the scheme in accordance with this Article.
(2) The amount of any payment must be determined in accordance with regulations and must take account of any payment already made under Article 82, and the Compensation Board must give written notice of their determination to the person who made the application under Article 80 and (if different) to the trustees.
(3) The amount of the payment or (if there is more than one) the aggregate—
(a) must not exceed the shortfall at the application date, together with interest at the prescribed rate for the prescribed period on the shortfall or (if the shortfall comprises more than one reduction in value) on each of the reductions, and also,
(b) in the case of a salary related scheme, must not exceed the amount which, on the settlement date, is required to be paid to the trustees of the scheme in order to secure that the value on that date of the assets of the scheme is equal to F1 the aggregate of the protected liabilities.
F2(4) In paragraph (3) the protected liabilities means—
(a) the amount on the settlement date of the liabilities of the scheme to, or in respect of, its pensioner members and such other of its members as fall within a prescribed class or description,
(b) 90 per cent. of the amount on that date of the liabilities of the scheme to, or in respect of, any other members of the scheme, and
(c) the amount on that date of the liabilities of the scheme which are not liabilities to, or in respect of, its members;
and references in this paragraph to liabilities to, or in respect of, members of the scheme are to liabilities in respect of pensions or other benefits.
82.—(1) The Compensation Board may, on an application for compensation under Article 80, make a payment or payments to the trustees of a trust scheme where in their opinion—
(a) Article 79 applies, or may apply, to the application, and
(b) the trustees would not otherwise be able to meet liabilities falling within a prescribed class,
but the Board have not determined the settlement date.
(2) Amounts payable under this Article must be determined in accordance with regulations.
(3) Where any payment is made under this Article, the Compensation Board may, except in prescribed circumstances—
(a) if they subsequently form the opinion that Article 79 does not apply to the application for compensation in respect of the scheme, or
(b) if they subsequently form the opinion that the amount of the payment was excessive,
recover so much of the payment as they consider appropriate.
83.—(1) Section 85 of the Pensions Act 1995F1 (surplus funds) shall extend to Northern Ireland.
(2) In subsection (1) of that section (distribution of funds surplus to the Compensation Board's requirements for the purposes of Part I of that Act), after Part insert “or any corresponding provisions in force in Northern Ireland”.
F1 1995 c. 26
84. Regulations may modify the compensation provisions in their application to trust schemes falling within a prescribed class or description.
85.—(1) This Article applies to an occupational pension scheme which is a money purchase scheme, other than one falling within a prescribed class or description.
(2) The trustees or managers of every occupational pension scheme to which this Article applies must secure that there is prepared, maintained and revised a schedule (referred to in this Article and Article 86 as a payment schedule) showing—
(a) the rates of contributions payable towards the scheme by or on behalf of the employer and the active members of the scheme,
(b) such other amounts payable towards the scheme as may be prescribed, and
(c) the dates on or before which payments of such contributions or other amounts are to be made (referred to in those Articles as due dates).
(3) The payment schedule for a scheme must satisfy prescribed requirements.
(4) The matters shown in the payment schedule for a scheme—
(a) to the extent that the scheme makes provision for their determination, must be so determined, and
(b) otherwise—
(i) must be matters previously agreed between the employer and the trustees or managers of the scheme, or
(ii) if no such agreement has been made as to all matters shown in the schedule (other than those for whose determination the scheme makes provision), must be matters determined by the trustees or managers of the scheme.
(5) Where in the case of a scheme this Article is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.
86.—(1) Except in prescribed circumstances, the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 85 applies must, where any amounts payable in accordance with the payment schedule have not been paid on or before the due date, give notice of that fact, within the prescribed period, to the Authority and to the members of the scheme.
(2) Any such amounts which for the time being remain unpaid after that date (whether payable by the employer or not) shall, if not a debt due from the employer to the trustees or managers apart from this paragraph, be treated as such a debt.
(3) Where any amounts payable in accordance with the payment schedule by or on behalf of the employerF1 on the employer's own account have not been paid on or before the due date, Article 10 applies to the employer.
(4) If, in the case of an occupational pension scheme to which Article 85 applies, paragraph (1) is not complied with—
(a) Article 3 applies to any trustee who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance, and
(b) Article 10 applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps.F2
87.—(1) In the case of money purchase schemes falling within a prescribed class or description, regulations may—
(a) provide for any of the provisions of Articles 56 to 60 to apply, or apply with prescribed modifications (in spite of anything in those Articles), and
(b) provide for any of the provisions of Articles 85 and 86 to apply with prescribed modifications or not to apply,
to such extent as may be prescribed.
(2) Regulations may provide for any of the provisions of Article 75 to apply, or apply with prescribed modifications, to money purchase schemes to such extent as may be prescribed (in spite of anything in that Article), and the power conferred by this paragraph includes power to apply Article 75 in circumstances other than those in which the scheme is being wound up or a relevant insolvency event occurs (within the meaning of that Article).
88. In section 120 of the Pension Schemes Act (duty of Department to pay unpaid contributions to schemes), after subsection (3) insert—
“(3A) Where the scheme in question is a money purchase scheme, the sum payable under this section by virtue of subsection (3) shall be the lesser of the amounts mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (c) of that subsection.” .
and, accordingly, at the beginning of subsection (3) insert “Subject to subsection (3A),”.
89.—(1) Subject to paragraph (5), where a person is entitled F1 to a pension under an occupational pension scheme or has a right to a future pension under such a scheme
(a) the entitlement or right cannot be assigned, commuted or surrendered,
(b) the entitlement or right cannot be charged or a lien exercised in respect of it, and
(c) no set-off can be exercised in respect of it,
and an agreement to effect any of those things is unenforceable.
(2) Where by virtue of this Article a person's entitlementF1 to a pension under an occupational pension scheme, or right to a future pension under such a scheme, cannot, apart from paragraph (5), be assigned, no order can be made by any court the effect of which would be that he would be restrained from receiving that pension.
Para. (3) rep. by 1999 NI 11
(4) Paragraph (2) does not prevent the making of—
(a) an attachment of earnings order under the Judgments Enforcement (Northern Ireland) Order 1981F2, or
(b) an income payments order under the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F3.
(5) In the case of a person ( the person in question) who is entitled F1 to a pension under an occupational pension scheme, or has a right to a future pension under such a scheme, paragraph (1) does not apply to any of the following, or any agreement to effect any of the following—
(a) an assignment in favour of the person in question's widow, widower or dependant,
(b) a surrender, at the option of the person in question, for the purpose of—
(i) providing benefits for that person's widow, widower or dependant, or
(ii) acquiring for the person in question entitlement to further benefits under the scheme,
(c) a commutation—
(i) of the person in question's benefit on or after retirement or in exceptional circumstances of serious ill health,
(ii) in prescribed circumstances, of any benefit for that person's widow, widower or dependant, or
(iii) in other prescribed circumstances,
(d) subject to paragraph (6), a charge or lien on, or set-off against, the person in question's entitlement, or F1 right, (except to the extent that it includes transfer credits other than prescribed transfer credits) for the purpose of enabling the employer to obtain the discharge by him of some monetary obligation due to the employer and arising out of a criminal, negligent or fraudulent act or omission by him,
(e) subject to paragraph (6), except in prescribed circumstances a charge or lien on, or set-off against, the person in question's entitlement, or F1 right, for the purpose of discharging some monetary obligation due from the person in question to the scheme and—
(i) arising out of a criminal, negligent or fraudulent act or omission by him, or
(ii) in the case of a trust scheme of which the person in question is a trustee, arising out of a breach of trust by him.
(6) Where a charge, lien or set-off is exercisable by virtue of paragraph (5)(d) or (e)—
(a) its amount must not exceed the amount of the monetary obligation in question, or (if less) the value (determined in the prescribed manner) of the person in question's entitlement or accrued right, and
(b) the person in question must be given a certificate showing the amount of the charge, lien or set-off and its effect on his benefits under the scheme,
and where there is a dispute as to its amount, the charge, lien or set-off must not be exercised unless the obligation in question has become enforceable under an order of a competent court or in consequence of an award of an arbitrator.
(7) This Article is subject to section 155 of the Pension Schemes Act (inalienability of guaranteed minimum pension and protected rights payments).
90.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (6) and Article 91, an entitlement F1 to a pension under an occupational pension scheme or a right to a future pension under such a scheme cannot be forfeited.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not prevent forfeiture by reference to—
(a) a transaction or purported transaction which under Article 89 is of no effect,
Sub-para. (b) rep. by 1999 NI 11
whether or not that event occurred before or after the pension became payable.
(3) Where such forfeiture as is mentioned in paragraph (2) occurs, any pension which was, or would but for the forfeiture have become, payable may, if the trustees or managers of the scheme so determine, be paid to all or any of the following—
(a) the member of the scheme to or in respect of whom the pension was, or would have become, payable,
(b) the spouse, widow or widower of the member,
(c) any dependant of the member, and
(d) any other person falling within a prescribed class.
(4) Paragraph (1) does not prevent forfeiture by reference to the F1 pensioner, or prospective pensioner, having been convicted of one or more offences—
(a) which are committed before the pension becomes payable, and
(b) which are—
(i) offences of treason,
(ii) offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989 for which the person has been sentenced on the same occasion to a term of imprisonment of, or to two or more consecutive terms amounting in the aggregate to, at least 10 years, or
(iii) prescribed offences.
(5) Paragraph (1) does not prevent forfeiture by reference to a failure by any person to make a claim for pension—
(a) where the forfeiture is in reliance on any enactment relating to the limitation of actions, or
(b) where the claim is not made within six years of the date on which the pension becomes due.
(6) Paragraph (1) does not prevent forfeiture in prescribed circumstances.
(7) In this Article and Article 91, references to forfeiture include any manner of deprivation or suspension.
F1 1999 NI 11
91.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), Article 90(1) does not prevent forfeiture of a person's entitlement F1 to a pension under an occupational pension scheme or right to a future pension under such a scheme by reference to the person having incurred some monetary obligation due to the employer and arising out of a criminal, negligent or fraudulent act or omission by the person.
(2) A person's entitlement F1 right may be forfeited by reason of paragraph (1) to the extent only that it does not exceed the amount of the monetary obligation in question, or (if less) the value (determined in the prescribed manner) of the person's entitlement or F1 right.
(3) Such forfeiture as is mentioned in paragraph (1) must not take effect where there is a dispute as to the amount of the monetary obligation in question, unless the obligation has become enforceable under an order of a competent court or in consequence of an award of an arbitrator.
(4) Where a person's entitlement or F1 right is forfeited by reason of paragraph (1), the person must be given a certificate showing the amount forfeited and the effect of the forfeiture on his benefits under the scheme.
(5) Where such forfeiture as is mentioned in paragraph (1) occurs, an amount not exceeding the amount forfeited may, if the trustees or managers of the scheme so determine, be paid to the employer.
F1 1999 NI 11
92.—(1) Regulations may—
(a) modify Articles 89 to 91 in their application to public service pension schemes or to other schemes falling within a prescribed class or description, or
(b) provide that those Articles do not apply in relation to schemes falling within a prescribed class or description.
(2) In those Articles, pension in relation to an occupational pension scheme, includes any benefit under the scheme and any part of a pension and any payment by way of pension.
Art. 93 rep. by 1999 NI 11
94.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article and to Article 95, any determination by the Authority of a question which it is within their functions to determine shall be final.
(2) The Authority must, on the application of any person ( the applicant) at any time within the prescribed period, review any determination of theirs—
(a) to make an order against the applicant under Article 3,
(b) to require the applicant to pay a penalty under Article 10 or section 164(4) of the Pension Schemes Act, or
(c) to disqualify the applicant for being a trustee of any trust scheme under Article 29(3) or (4).
(3) The Authority may on the application of a person appearing to them to be interested—
(a) at any time review any other such determination of theirs as is mentioned in paragraph (1) (including a determination given by them on a previous review), if they are satisfied that there has been a relevant change of circumstances since the determination was made, or that the determination was made in ignorance of a material fact or based on a mistake as to a material fact or was erroneous in point of law,
(b) at any time within a period of six months from the date of the determination, or within such longer period as they may allow in any particular case, review such a determination on any ground.
(4) The Authority's powers on a review under paragraph (2) or (3) include power—
(a) to vary or revoke any determination or order previously made,
(b) to substitute a different determination or order, and
(c) generally to deal with the matters arising on the review as if they had arisen on the original determination;
and also include power to make savings and transitional provisions.
(5) Subsection (5) of section 96 of the Pensions Act 1995F1 (regulations about procedure on reviews of decisions of the Authority) shall extend to Northern Ireland, but nothing in that subsection shall be taken to prevent a review under paragraph (2) or (3) being entered upon by the Authority without an application being made.
F1 1995 c. 26
95.—(1) Any question of law arising in connection with—
(a) any matter arising under this Part for determination, or
(b) any matter arising on an application to the Authority for a review of a determination, or on a review by them entered upon without an application,
may, if the Authority think fit, be referred for decision to the court.
(2) If the Authority determine in accordance with paragraph (1) to refer any question of law to the court, they must give notice in writing of their intention to do so—
(a) in the case where the question arises on an application made to the Authority, to the applicant, and
(b) in any case to such persons as appear to them to be concerned with the question.
(3) Any person who is aggrieved—
(a) by a determination of the Authority given on a review under Article 94, or
(b) by the refusal of the Authority to review a determination,
where the determination involves a question of law and that question is not referred by the Authority to the court under paragraph (1), may on that question appeal from the determination to the court.
(4) The Authority are entitled to appear and be heard on any reference or appeal under this Article.
(5) Rules of court must include provision for regulating references and appeals to the court under this Article and for limiting the time within which such appeals may be brought.
(6) The decision of the court on a reference or appeal under this Article is final, and this paragraph overrides any other enactment.
(7) On any such reference or appeal the court may order the Authority to pay the costs of any other person, whether or not the decision is in that other person's favour and whether or not the Authority appear on the reference or appeal.
(8) In this Article, the court means the High Court.
96.—(1) In the case of any occupational pension scheme—
(a) a trustee, manager, professional adviser or employer, and
(b) any other person appearing to the Authority to be a person who holds, or is likely to hold, information relevant to the discharge of the Authority's functions,
must, if required to do so by them by notice in writing, produce any document relevant to the discharge of those functions.
(2) To comply with paragraph (1) the document must be produced in such a manner, at such a place and within such a period as may be specified in the notice.
(3) In this Article and Articles 97 to 99, document includes information recorded in any form, and any reference to production of a document, in relation to information recorded otherwise than in legible form, is to producing a copy of the information in legible form.
97.—(1) An inspector may, for the purposes of investigating whether, in the case of any occupational pension scheme, the regulatory provisions are being, or have been, complied with, at any reasonable time enter premises liable to inspection and, while there—
(a) may make such examination and inquiry as may be necessary for such purposes,
(b) may require any person on the premises to produce, or secure the production of, any document relevant to compliance with those provisions for his inspection, and
(c) may, as to any matter relevant to compliance with those provisions, examine, or require to be examined, either alone or in the presence of another person, any person on the premises whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be able to give information relevant to that matter.
(2) In paragraph (1), the regulatory provisions means provisions made by or under—
(a) the provisions of this Part, other than the following provisions: Articles 51 to 54, 62 to 65 and 108 to 110,
(b) the following provisions of the Pension Schemes Act: section 2 (registration), Chapter IV of Part IV (transfer values),F1 Chapter II of Part IVA (pension credit benefit transfer values), section 109 (information) or section 170 (levy), or
F1(ba) Article 30 (time for discharge of pension credit liability) or 42 (information) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999,
(c) any correspondence provisions in force in Great Britain.
(3) Premises are liable to inspection for the purposes of this Article if the inspector has reasonable grounds to believe that—
(a) members of the scheme are employed there,
(b) documents relevant to the administration of the scheme are being kept there, or
(c) the administration of the scheme, or work connected with the administration of the scheme, is being carried out there,
unless the premises are a private dwelling-house not used by, or by permission of, the occupier for the purposes of a trade or business.
(4) An inspector applying for admission to any premises for the purposes of this Article must, if so required, produce his certificate of appointment.
(5) In this Part, inspector means a person appointed by the Authority as an inspector.
F1 1999 NI 11
98.—(1) A justice of the peace may issue a warrant under this Article if satisfied on complaint on oath given by or on behalf of the Authority that there are reasonable grounds for believing—
(a) that there are on any premises documents whose production has been required under Article 96(1) or 97(1)(b), or any corresponding provisions in force in Great Britain, and which have not been produced in compliance with the requirement.
(b) that there are on any premises documents whose production could be so required and that if their production were so required the documents would not be produced but would be removed from the premises, hidden, tampered with or destroyed, or
(c) that—
(i) an offence has been committed under this Order or the Pension Schemes Act, or any enactment in force in Great Britain corresponding to either of them,
(ii) a person will do any act which constitutes a misuse or misappropriation of the assets of an occupational pension scheme
(iii) a person is liable to pay a penalty under Article 10 or section 164(4) of the Pension Schemes Act, or any enactment in force in Great Britain corresponding to either of them, or
(iv) a person is liable to be prohibited from being a trustee of a trust scheme under Article 3,
and that there are on any premises documents which relate to whether the offence has been committed, whether the act will be done, or whether the person is so liable, and whose production could be required under Article 96(1) or 97(1)(b), or any corresponding provisions in force in Great Britain.
(2) A warrant under this Article authorises an inspector—
(a) to enter the premises specified in the complaint, using such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose,
(b) to search the premises and take possession of any documents appearing to be such documents as are mentioned in paragraph (1) or to take in relation to such documents any other steps which appear necessary for preserving them or preventing interference with them,
(c) to take copies of any such documents, or
(d) to require any person named in the warrant to provide an explanation of them or to state where they may be found.
(3) A warrant under this Article continues in force until the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which it is issued.
(4) Any documents of which possession is taken by virtue of a warrant under this Article may be retained—
(a) for a period of six months, or
(b) if within that period proceedings to which the documents are relevant are commenced against any person for any offence under this Order or the Pension Schemes Act, or any enactment in force in Great Britain corresponding to either of them, until the conclusion of those proceedings.
99.—(1) A person who, without reasonable excuse, neglects or refuses to produce a document when required to do so under Article 96 is guilty of an offence.
(2) A person who, without reasonable excuse—
(a) intentionally delays or obstructs an inspector exercising any power under Article 97,
(b) neglects or refuses to produce, or secure the production of, any document when required to do so under that Article, or
(c) neglects or refuses to answer a question or to provide information when so required,
is guilty of an offence.
(3) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) or (2) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
(4) An offence under paragraph (1) or (2)(b) or (c) may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(5) Any person who knowingly or recklessly provides the Authority with information which is false or misleading in a material particular is guilty of an offence if the information—
(a) is provided in purported compliance with a requirement under Article 97, or
(b) is provided otherwise than as mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) but in circumstances in which the person providing the information intends, or could reasonably be expected to know, that it would be used by the Authority for the purpose of discharging their functions under this Order.
(6) Any person who intentionally and without reasonable excuse alters, suppresses, conceals or destroys any document which he is or is liable to be required under Article 96 or 97 to produce to the Authority is guilty of an offence.
(7) Any person guilty of an offence under paragraph (5) or (6) is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum,
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
100.—(1) Nothing in Articles 96 to 99 requires a person to answer any question or give any information if to do so would incriminate that person or that person's spouse.
(2) Nothing in those Articles requires any person to produce any document to the Authority, or to any person acting on their behalf, if he would be entitled to refuse to produce the document in any proceedings in any court on the grounds that it was the subject of legal professional privilege.
(3) Where any person claims a lien on a document, its production under Article 96 or 97 is without prejudice to the lien.
101.—(1) The Authority may, if they consider it appropriate to do so in any particular case, publish in such form and manner as they think fit a report of any investigation under this Part and of the result of that investigation.
(2) For the purposes of the law of defamation, the publication of any matter by the Authority is absolutely privileged.
102.—(1) Except as provided by Articles 104 to 106, restricted information must not be disclosed by the Authority or by any person who receives the information directly or indirectly from them, except with the consent of the person to whom it relates and (if different) the person from whom the Authority obtained it.
(2) For the purposes of this Article and Articles 103 to 106, restricted information means any information obtained by the Authority in the exercise of their functions which relates to the business or other affairs of any person, except for information—
(a) which at the time of the disclosure is or has already been made available to the public from other sources, or
(b) which is in the form of a summary or collection of information so framed as not to enable information relating to any particular person to be ascertained from it.
(3) Any person who discloses information in contravention of this Article is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment or both.
103.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), for the purposes of Article 102 restricted information includes information which has been supplied to the Authority for the purposes of their functions by an authority which exercises functions corresponding to the functions of the Authority in a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.
(2) Articles 104 to 106 do not apply to such information as is mentioned in paragraph (1), and such information must not be disclosed except—
(a) as provided in Article 102,
(b) for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Authority to discharge their functions, or
(c) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, criminal proceedings, whether under this Order or otherwise.
104.—(1) Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure of restricted information in any case in which disclosure is for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Authority to discharge their functions.
(2) If, in order to enable or assist the Authority properly to discharge any of their functions, the Authority consider it necessary to seek advice from any qualified person on any matter of law, accountancy, valuation or other matter requiring the exercise of professional skill, Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure by the Authority to that person of such information as appears to the Authority to be necessary to ensure that he is properly informed with respect to the matters on which his advice is sought.
105.—(1) Article 102 above does not preclude the disclosure by the Authority of restricted information to any person specified in the first column of the following Table if the Authority consider that the disclosure would enable or assist that person to discharge the functions specified in relation to him in the second column of that Table.
| Persons | Functions |
|---|---|
| The Department | Functions under the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 1964F2 or Part III of the Pension Schemes Act. |
| The Department of Economic Development. | Functions under Part XV of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986F3, the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F4 or Part II of the Companies (No.2) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990F5. |
| The Secretary of State. | Functions under the F1. . . Part XIV of the Companies Act 1985F6, the Insolvency Act 1986F7, F1. . . Part III of the Companies Act 1989F8 F1, Part 3 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 or the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000F9 or Part III of the Pension Schemes Act. |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| The Bank of England. | F10Any of its functions. |
| F10The Financial Services Authority. | F1Functions under the legislation relating to friendly societies, under the Building Societies Act 1986 or under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. |
| The Charity Commissioners. | Functions under the Charities Act 1993F11. |
| The Lord Advocate. | Functions under Part I of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990F12. |
| The Pensions Ombudsman and the Registrar of Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes. | Functions under the Pension Schemes Act or the Pension Schemes Act 1993. |
| The Compensation Board. | Functions under this Order or any corresponding enactment in force in Great Britain. |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| The Commissioners of Inland Revenue or their officers. | Functions under the Taxes Act 1988F13 or the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992F14 F9 or Part III of the Pension Schemes Act. |
| The Official Receiver for Northern Ireland or the Official Receiver in England and Wales. | Functions under the enactments relating to insolvency. |
| An inspector appointed by the Department of Economic Development. | Functions under Part XV of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986F15. |
| A recognised professional body (within the meaning of Article 350 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F16). | Functions in its capacity as such a body under that Order. |
| A recognised professional body (within the meaning of section 391 of the Insolvency Act 1986F17). | Functions in its capacity as such a body under that Act. |
| An inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. | Functions under Part XIV of the Companies Act 1985F18 F1. . . . |
| F1A person authorised to exercise powers under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985, Article 440 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 or section 84 of the Companies Act 1989. | F1Functions under those sections or that Article. |
F1A person appointed under— (a) section 167 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, (b) subsection (3) or (5) of section 168 of that Act, or (c) section 284 of that Act, to conduct an investigation. |
F1Functions in relation to that investigation. |
| F1A body designated under section 326(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. | F1Functions in its capacity as a body designated under that section. |
| F1A recognised investment exchange or a recognised clearing house (as defined by section 285 of that Act). | F1Functions in its capacity as an exchange or clearing house recognised under that Act. |
| F1A body corporate established in accordance with section 212(1) of that Act. | F1Functions under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, established in accordance with section 213 of that Act. |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
| F1. . . | F1. . . |
(2) The Department may after consultation with the Authority—
(a) by order amend the Table in paragraph (1) by—
(i) adding any person exercising regulatory functions and specifying functions in relation to that person,
(ii) removing any person for the time being specified in the Table, or
(iii) altering the functions for the time being specified in the Table in relation to any person, or
(b) by order restrict the circumstances in which, or impose conditions subject to which, disclosure is permitted in the case of any person for the time being specified in the Table.
F1 SI 2001/3649
F2 1964 c. 33 (NI)
F3 1986 NI 6
F4 1989 NI 19
F5 1990 NI 10
F6 1985 c. 6
F7 1986 c. 45
F8 1989 c. 40
F9 SI 1999/671
F10 1998 c. 11
F11 1993 c. 10
F12 1990 c. 40
F13 1988 c. 1
F14 1992 c. 12
F15 1986 NI 6
F16 1989 NI 19
F17 1986 c. 45
F18 1985 c. 6
106.—(1) Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure by the Authority of restricted information to—
(a) the Department,
F2(aa) the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or their officers, or
(b) the Secretary of State,
if the disclosure appears to the Authority to be desirable or expedient in the interests of members of occupational pension schemes or in the public interest.
(2) Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure of restricted information—
(a) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, criminal proceedings, whether under this Order or otherwise,
(b) in connection with any other proceedings arising out of—
(i) this Order, or
(ii) the Pension Schemes Act,
or any corresponding enactment in force in Great Britain or any proceedings for breach of trust in relation to an occupational pension scheme,
(c) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, proceedings under F1 Article 10 or 11 of the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 or section 7 or 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986F3,
(d) in connection with any proceedings under the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F4 or the Insolvency Act 1986F5 which the Authority have instituted or in which they have a right to be heard,
(e) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, any disciplinary proceedings relating to the exercise of his professional duties by a solicitor, an actuary or an accountant,
(f) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, any disciplinary proceedings relating to the discharge by a public servant of his duties,
(g) for the purpose of enabling or assisting an authority in a country outside the United Kingdom to exercise functions corresponding to those of the Authority under this Order, or
(h) in pursuance of a Community obligation.
(3) Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure by the Authority of information to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Lord Advocate, a procurator fiscal or a constable.
(4) Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure by any person mentioned in paragraph (1) or (3) of information obtained by the person by virtue of that paragraph, if the disclosure is made with the consent of the Authority.
(5) Article 102 does not preclude the disclosure by any person specified in the first column of the Table in Article 105(1) of information obtained by the person by virtue of Article 102, if the disclosure is made—
(a) with the consent of the Authority, and
(b) for the purpose of enabling or assisting the person to discharge any functions specified in relation to him in the second column of the Table.
(6) The Authority must, before deciding whether to give their consent to such a disclosure as is mentioned in paragraph (4) or (5), take account of any representations made to them by the person seeking to make the disclosure as to the desirability of the disclosure or the necessity for it.
(7) In paragraph (2), public servant means an officer or servant of the Crown or of any prescribed authority.
107.—(1) This Article applies to information held by any person in the exercise of tax functions about any matter relevant, for the purposes of those functions, to tax or duty in the case of an identifiable person (in this Article referred to as tax information).
(2) No obligation as to secrecy imposed by section 182 of the Finance Act 1989F1 or otherwise shall prevent the disclosure of tax information to the Authority for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Authority to discharge their functions.
(3) Where tax information is disclosed to the Authority by virtue of paragraph (2), it shall, subject to paragraph (4), be treated for the purposes of Article 102 as restricted information.
(4) Articles 104 to 106 do not apply to tax information and such information must not be disclosed except—
(a) to, or in accordance with authority duly given by, the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, or
(b) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, criminal proceedings under this Order or the Pension Schemes Act, or any enactment in force in Great Britain corresponding to either of them.
(5) In this Article, tax functions has the same meaning as in section 182 of the Finance Act 1989.
F1 1989 c. 26
108.—(1) In the case of any trust scheme—
(a) a trustee, professional adviser or employer, and
(b) any other person appearing to the Compensation Board to be a person who holds, or is likely to hold, information relevant to the discharge of the Board's functions,
must, if required to do so by the Board by notice in writing, produce any document relevant to the discharge of those functions.
(2) To comply with paragraph (1) the document must be produced in such a manner, at such a place and within such a period as may be specified in the notice.
(3) In this Article and Article 109, document includes information recorded in any form, and any reference to production of a document, in relation to information recorded otherwise than in legible form, is to producing a copy of the information in legible form.
109.—(1) A person who without reasonable excuse neglects or refuses to produce a document when required to do so under Article 108 is guilty of an offence.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
(3) An offence under paragraph (1) may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(4) Any person who knowingly or recklessly provides the Compensation Board with information which is false or misleading in a material particular is guilty of an offence if the information is provided in circumstances in which the person providing the information intends, or could reasonably be expected to know, that it would be used by the Board for the purpose of discharging their functions under this Order or any corresponding enactment in force in Great Britain.
(5) Any person who intentionally and without reasonable excuse alters, suppresses, conceals or destroys any document which he is or is liable to be required under Article 108 to produce to the Compensation Board is guilty of an offence.
(6) Any person guilty of an offence under paragraph (4) or (5) is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum,
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment or a fine, or both.
110. Nothing in Article 108 or 109 requires a person—
(a) to answer any question or give any information if to do so would incriminate that person or that person's spouse, or
(b) to produce any document if he would be entitled to refuse to produce the document in any proceedings in any court on the grounds that it was the subject of legal professional privilege.
111.—(1) The Compensation Board may, if they consider it appropriate to do so in any particular case, publish in such form and manner as they think fit a report of any investigation under this Part and of the result of that investigation.
(2) For the purposes of the law of defamation, the publication of any matter by the Compensation Board shall be absolutely privileged.
112.—(1) A person to whom this Article applies may disclose to the Compensation Board any information received by him under or for the purposes of any enactment if the disclosure is made by him for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Board to discharge any of their functions.
(2) In the case of information which a person holds or has held in the exercise of functions—
(a) of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or the Commissioners of Customs and Excise or the officers of either of them, and
(b) relating to any tax within the general responsibility of the Commissioners,
paragraph (1) does not authorise any disclosure unless made in accordance with an authorisation given by the Commissioners.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the Compensation Board may disclose to a person to whom this Article applies any information received by them under or for the purposes of any enactment, where the disclosure is made by the Board—
(a) for any purpose connected with the discharge of their functions, or
(b) for the purpose of enabling or assisting that person to discharge any of his functions.
(4) Where any information disclosed to the Compensation Board under this Article is so disclosed subject to any express restriction on the disclosure of the information by the Board, the Board's power of disclosure under paragraph (3) is, in relation to the information, exercisable by them subject to any such restriction.
(5) In the case of any such information as is mentioned in paragraph (2), paragraph (3) does not authorise any disclosure of that information by the Compensation Board unless made—
(a) to, or in accordance with authority duly given by, the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or the Commissioners of Customs and Excise or
(b) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, criminal proceedings under this Order or the Pension Schemes Act, or any enactment in force in Great Britain corresponding to either of them.
(6) Nothing in this Article shall be construed as affecting any power of disclosure exercisable apart from this Article.
(7) This Article applies to the following (and, accordingly, in this Article person shall be construed as including any of them)—
(a) any government department,
(b) the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland,
(c) the Director of Public Prosecutions,
(d) the Lord Advocate,
(e) any constable,
Sub-para. (f) rep. by SI 2001/3649
(g) a recognised professional body (within the meaning of Article 350 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F2 or section 391 of the Insolvency Act 1986F3),
(h) the Pensions Ombudsman,
Sub-para. (i) rep. by SI 2001/3649
(j) the Authority,
(k) the Registrar of Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes,
F1(ka) the Financial Services Authority;
(kb) a body corporate established in accordance with section 212(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Services Compensation Scheme: the scheme manager);
(l) the Official Receiver for Northern Ireland or the Official Receiver in England and Wales, and
(m) such other persons as may be prescribed.
113.—(1) Regulations made by virtue of any provisions of this Part may provide for the contravention of any provision contained in any such regulations to be an offence under this Part and for the recovery on summary conviction for any such offence of a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
(2) An offence under any provision of the regulations may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence under such a provision by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(3) Where by reason of the contravention of any provision contained in regulations made by virtue of this Part—
(a) a person is convicted of an offence under this Part, or
(b) a person pays a penalty under Article 10,
then, in respect of that contravention, he shall not, in a case within sub-paragraph (a), be liable to pay such a penalty or, in a case within sub-paragraph (b), be convicted of such an offence.
114.—(1) Where any provision mentioned in paragraph (2) conflicts with the provisions of an occupational pension scheme—
(a) the provision mentioned in paragraph (2), to the extent that it conflicts, overrides the provisions of the scheme, and
(b) the scheme has effect with such modifications as may be required in consequence of sub-paragraph (a).
(2) The provisions referred to in paragraph (1) are those of—
(a) this Part,
(b) any subordinate legislation made or having effect as if made under this Part, or
(c) any arrangements under Article 16(1) or F1 17(2).
F1 prosp. subst. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
115.—(1) Regulations may modify any provisions of this Part, in their application—
(a) to a trust scheme which applies to earners in employments under different employers,
(b) to a trust scheme of which there are no members who are in pensionable service under the scheme, or
(c) to any case where a partnership is the employer, or one of the employers, in relation to a trust scheme.
(2) Regulations may provide for F1 some or all of the provisions of Articles 22 to 26C, and Article 114 (so far as it applies to those Articles), not to apply in relation to a trust scheme falling within a prescribed class or description.
F1(3) Regulations may modify Articles 26A and 26B for the purpose of requiring prescribed persons, in addition to or instead of the persons who (apart from the regulations) would be required to provide information to the Authority under those Articles, to be subject to the duties imposed by those Articles.
F1 2000 c. 4 (NI)
116. Regulations made by virtue of Article 56(3), 73(3) or 75 may provide for the values of the assets and the amounts of the liabilities there mentioned to be calculated and verified in accordance with guidance—
(a) prepared and revised by a prescribed body, and
(b) approved by the Department.
117.—(1) Before the Department makes any regulations by virtue of this Part, It must consult such persons as it considers appropriate.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply—
(a) to regulations made for the purpose only of consolidating other regulations revoked by them,
(b) to regulations in the case of which the Department considers consultation inexpedient because of urgency,
(c) to regulations made before the end of the period of six months beginning with the coming into operation of the provision of this Part by virtue of which the regulations are made,
(d) to regulations which—
(i) state that they are consequential upon a specified enactment, and
(ii) are made before the end of the period of six months beginning with the coming into operation of that enactment, or
(e) to regulations making only provision corresponding to provision contained in regulations made by the Secretary of State in relation to Great Britain.
118.—(1) This Part applies to an occupational pension scheme managed by or on behalf of the Crown as it applies to other occupational pension schemes; and, accordingly, references in this Part to a person in his capacity as a trustee or manager of an occupational pension scheme include the Crown, or a person acting on behalf of the Crown, in that capacity.
(2) References in this Part to a person in his capacity as employer in relation to an occupational pension scheme include the Crown, or a person acting on behalf of the Crown, in that capacity.
(3) This Article does not apply to any provision made by or under this Part under which a person may be prosecuted for an offence; but such a provision applies to persons in the public service of the Crown as it applies to other persons.
(4) This Article does not apply to Article 42 to 46 (but see the amendment of Article 79 (1) of the Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1976F1 in Schedule 1).
(5) Nothing in this Part applies to Her Majesty in Her private capacity (within the meaning of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947F2).
(6) Subject to paragraphs (1) to (5), this Part binds the Crown to the full extent authorised by the constitutional laws of Northern Ireland.
Art. 119—Amendments
120.—(1) Articles 4 and 7 of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989F1 (associated and connected persons) apply for the purposes of the provisions of this Order listed in paragraph (2) as they apply for the purposes of any provision of that Order.
(2) The provisions referred to in paragraph (1) are—
(a) Article 23(3)(b)
(b) Articles 27 and 28,
(c) Article 40,
but in the case of Article 40 the provisions mentioned in paragraph (1) shall apply for those purposes with any prescribed modifications.
F1 1989 NI 19
121.—(1) In this Part—
active member, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means a person who is in pensionable service under the scheme,
the actuary and the auditor, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, have the meanings given by Article 47,
the Authority means the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority;
the Compensation Board means the Pensions Compensation Board.
the compensation provisions has the meaning given by Article 79(3),
the Crown means the Crown in right of Her Majesty's government in Northern Ireland or in right of Her Majesty's government in the United Kingdom;
deferred member, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means a person (other than an active or pensioner member) who has accrued rights under the scheme,
employer, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means the employer of persons in the description or category of employment to which the scheme in question relates (but see Article 122(3)),
equal treatment rule has the meaning given by Article 62,
firm means a body corporate or a partnership,
fund manager, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means a person who manages the investments held for the purposes of the scheme,
government department means a Northern Ireland department or a department of the government of the United Kingdom;
independent trustee has the meaning given by Article 23(3),
managers, in relation to an occupational pension scheme other than a trust scheme, means the persons responsible for the management of the scheme,
member, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means any active, deferred F1, pensioner or pension credit member (but see Article 122(4)),
member-nominated director has the meaning given by Article 18(2),
member-nominated trustee has the meaning given by Article 16(2),
the minimum funding requirement has the meaning given by Article 56(1),
normal pension age has the meaning given by section 175 of the Pension Schemes Act,
payment schedule has the meaning given by Article 85(2),
F1pension credit means a credit under Article 26(1)(b) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 or under section 29(1)(b) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999,
pension credit member, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means a person who has rights under the scheme which are attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit,
pension credit rights, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means rights to future benefits under the scheme which are attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit,
pensionable service, in relation to a member of an occupational pension scheme, means service in any description or category of employment to which the scheme relates which qualifies the member (on the assumption that it continues for the appropriate period) for pension or other benefits under the scheme,
pensioner member, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means a person who, in respect of his pensionable service under the scheme or by reason of transfer credits, is entitled to the present payment of pension or other benefitsF2 and who is not an active member of the scheme,
prescribed means prescribed by regulations,
professional adviser, in relation to a scheme, has the meaning given by Article 47,
public service pension scheme has the meaning given by section 1 of the Pension Schemes Act,
resources, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means the funds out of which the benefits provided by the scheme are payable from time to time, including the proceeds of any policy of insurance taken out, or annuity contract entered into, for the purposes of the scheme,
the Taxes Act 1988 means the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988F3,
transfer credits means rights allowed to a member under the rules of an occupational pension scheme by reference to a transfer to that scheme of his accrued rights from another scheme (including any transfer credits allowed by that scheme),
trustees or managers, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, means—
(a) in the case of a trust scheme, the trustees of the scheme, and
(b) in any other case, the managers of the scheme, trust scheme means an occupational pension scheme established under a trust
(2) For the purposes of this Part—
(a) the accrued rights of a member of an occupational pension scheme at any time are the rights which have accrued to or in respect of him at that time to future benefits under the scheme, and
(b) at any time when the pensionable service of a member of an occupational pension scheme is continuing, his accrued rights are to be determined as if he had opted, immediately before that time, to terminate that service,
and references to accrued pension or accrued benefits are to be interpreted accordingly.
F1(2A) In paragraph (2)(a), the reference to rights which have accrued to or in respect of the member does not include any rights which are pension credit rights.
(3) In determining what is pensionable service for the purposes of this Part—
(a) service notionally attributable for any purpose of the scheme is to be disregarded, and
(b) no account is to be taken of any rules of the scheme by which a period of service can be treated for any purpose as being longer or shorter than it actually is F1 but, in its application for the purposes of Article 51, sub-paragraph (b) does not affect the operation of any rules of the scheme by virtue of which a period of service is to be rounded up or down by a period of less than a month.
F2(4) In a case of the winding-up of an occupational pension scheme in pursuance of an order of the Authority under Article 11 or of an order of a court, the winding-up shall (subject to paragraph (8)) be taken for the purposes of this Part to begin—
(a) if the order provides for a time to be the time when the winding-up begins, at that time, and
(b) in any other case, at the time when the order comes into force.
(5) In a case of the winding-up of an occupational pension scheme in accordance with a requirement or power contained in the rules of the scheme, the winding-up shall (subject to paragraphs (6) to (8)) be taken for the purposes of this Part to begin—
(a) at the time (if any) which under those rules is the time when the winding-up begins, and
(b) if sub-paragraph (a) does not apply, at the earliest time which is a time fixed by the trustees or managers as the time from which steps for the purposes of the winding-up are to be taken.
(6) Paragraph (5) shall not require a winding-up of a scheme to be treated as having begun at any time before the end of any period during which effect is being given—
(a) to a determination under Article 38 that the scheme is not for the time being to be wound up, or
(b) to a determination in accordance with the rules of the scheme to postpone the commencement of a winding-up.
(7) In paragraph (5)(b) the reference to the trustees or managers of the scheme shall have effect in relation to any scheme the rules of which provide for a determination that the scheme is to be wound up to be made by persons other than the trustees or managers as including a reference to those other persons.
(8) Paragraphs (4) to (7) do not apply for such purposes as may be prescribed.
122.—(1) For the purposes of this Part, an occupational pension scheme is salary related if—
(a) the scheme is not a money purchase scheme, and
(b) the scheme does not fall within a prescribed class or description,
and salary related trust scheme is to be read accordingly.
(2) Regulations may apply this Part with prescribed modifications to occupational pension schemes—
(a) which are not money purchase schemes, but
(b) where some of the benefits that may be provided are money purchase benefits.
(3) Regulations may, in relation to occupational pension schemes, extend for the purposes of this Part the meaning of employer to include persons who have been the employer in relation to the scheme.
(4) For any of the purposes of this Part, regulations may in relation to occupational pension schemes—
(a) extend or restrict the meaning of member,
(b) determine who is to be treated as a prospective member, and
(c) determine the times at which a person is to be treated as becoming, or as ceasing to be, a member or prospective member.
123. Schedule 2, of which—
(a) Part I has effect to equalise pensionable age for men and women progressively over a period of ten years beginning with (and including) 6th April 2010,
(b) Part II makes provision for bringing equality for men and women to certain pension and other benefits, and
(c) Part III makes consequential amendments of enactments,
has effect.
Art. 124 rep. by 2002 c. 21
125.—(1) In section 44 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (Category A retirement pension), for subsection (5) (surplus on which additional pension is calculated) substitute—
“(5A) For the purpose of this section and section 45 below—
(a) there is a surplus in the pensioner's earnings factor for a relevant year if that factor exceeds the qualifying earnings factor for that year, and
(b) the amount of the surplus is the amount of that excess, as increased by the last order under section 130 of the Administration Act to come into operation before the end of the final relevant year.”.
(2) In subsection (6) of that section (calculation of earnings factors), for paragraphs (a)(ii) and (b) substitute—
“(ii) his earnings factors derived from Class 2 and Class 3 contributions actually paid in respect of that year, or, if less, the qualifying earnings factor for that year; and
(b) where the relevant year is an earlier tax year, to the aggregate of—
(i) his earnings factors derived from Class 1 contributions actually paid by him in respect of that year; and
(ii) his earnings factors derived from Class 2 and Class 3 contributions actually paid by him in respect of that year, or, if less, the qualifying earnings factor for that year.”.
(3) In section 130 of the Administration Act (revaluation of earnings factors in Northern Ireland) for from directing to the end substitute “(revaluation of earnings factors), the Department may make a corresponding order for Northern Ireland”.
(4) Subject to paragraphs (5)F1, (5A) and (6), this Article has effect in relation to a person ( the pensioner) who attains pensionable age after 5th April 2000.
(5) Where the pensioner is a woman, this Article has effect in the case of additional pension falling to be calculated under sections 44 and 45 of the Contributions and Benefits Act by virtue of section 39 of that Act (widowed mother's allowance and widow's pension), including Category B retirement pension payable under section 48B(4), if her husband—
(a) dies after 5th April 2000, and
(b) has not attained pensionable age on or before that date.
F1(5A) This Article has effect in the case of additional pension falling to be calculated under sections 44 and 45 of the Contributions and Benefits Act by virtue of section 39C(1) of that Act (widowed parent's allowance), including Category B retirement pension payable under section 48BB(2), if the pensioner's spouse—
(a) dies after 5th April 2000, and
(b) has not attained pensionable age on or before that date.
(6) This Article has effect where additional pension falls to be calculated under sections 44 and 45 of the Contributions and Benefits Act as applied by section 48A F2, 48B(2) or 48BB(5) of that Act (other Category B retirement pension) if—
(a) the pensioner attains pensionable age after 5th April 2000, and
(b) the pensioner's spouse has not attained pensionable age on or before that date.
126. In Schedule 3 to the Contributions and Benefits Act (contribution conditions), in paragraph 5(3)(a) (conditions for widowed mother's allowance, widow's pension and Category A and Category B retirement pension), after class insert “or been credited (in the case of 1987–88 or any subsequent year) with earnings”.
127. For section 136 of the Administration Act substitute—
136.—(1) This section applies in any case where a person is entitled to a Category A retirement pension with an increase, under section 52(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act, in the additional pension on account of the contributions of a spouse who has died.
(2) Where in the case of any up-rating order under section 132 above—
(a) the spouse's final relevant year is the tax year preceding the tax year in which the up-rating order comes into force, but
(b) the person's final relevant year was an earlier tax year,
then the up-rating order shall not have effect in relation to that part of the additional pension which is attributable to the spouse's contributions.
(3) Where in the case of any up-rating order under section 132 above—
(a) the person's final relevant year is the tax year preceding the tax year in which the up-rating order comes into force, but
(b) the spouse's final relevant year was an earlier tax year,
then the up-rating order shall not have effect in relation to that part of the additional pension which is attributable to the person's contributions.”.
128. In section 62(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (graduated retirement benefit) after paragraph (a) insert—
“(aa) for amending section 35(7) of that Act (persons to be treated as receiving nominal retirement pension) so that where a person has claimed a Category A or Category B retirement pension but—
(i) because of an election under section 54(1) above, or
(ii) because he has withdrawn his claim for the pension,
he is not entitled to such a pension, he is not to be treated for the purposes of the preceding provisions of that section as receiving such a pension at a nominal weekly rate;”.
129.—(1) Section 146 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (Christmas bonus: interpretation) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (1), after paragraph (k) insert—
(3) In subsection (2)—
(a) after the definition of attendance allowance insert—
“mobility supplement means a supplement awarded in respect of disablement which affects a person's ability to walk and for which the person is in receipt of war disablement pension;” ,
(b) in the definition of retirement pension, omit , if paid periodically,
(c) in paragraph (b) of the definition of unemployability supplement or allowance, after sub-paragraph (iv) insert
“or
(v) under the Pensions (Navy, Army, Air Force and Mercantile Marine) Act 1939,” .
130. After section 61 of the Contributions and Benefits Act insert—
61A.—(1) This section applies in the case of any individual if—
(a) the individual has paid amounts by way of primary Class 1 contributions which, because the individual was not an employed earner, were paid in error, and
(b) prescribed conditions are satisfied.
(2) Regulations may, where—
(a) this section applies in the case of any individual, and
(b) the Department is of the opinion that it is appropriate for the regulations to apply to the individual,
provide for entitlement to, and the amount of, additional pension to be determined as if the individual had been an employed earner and, accordingly, those contributions had been properly paid.
(3) The reference in subsection (2) above to additional pension is to additional pension for the individual or the individual's spouse falling to be calculated under section 45 above for the purposes of—
(a) Category A retirement pension,
(b) Category B retirement pension for widows or widowers,
(c) widowed mother's allowance and widow's pension, and
(d) incapacity benefit (except in transitional cases).
(4) Regulations may, where—
(a) this section applies in the case of any individual, and
(b) the Department is of the opinion that it is appropriate for regulations made by virtue of Article 6(8) of the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (provision during transition from invalidity benefit to incapacity benefit for incapacity benefit to include the additional pension element of invalidity pension) to have the following effect in the case of the individual,
provide for the regulations made by virtue of that Article to have effect as if, in relation to the provisions in force before the commencement of that Article with respect to that additional pension element, the individual had been an employed earner and, accordingly, the contributions had been properly paid.
(5) Where such provision made by regulations as is mentioned in subsection (2) or (4) above applies in respect of any individual, regulations under paragraph 8(1)(m) of Schedule 1 to this Act may not require the amounts paid by way of primary Class 1 contributions to be repaid.
(6) Regulations may provide, where—
(a) such provision made by regulations as is mentioned in subsection (2) or (4) above applies in respect of any individual,
(b) prescribed conditions are satisfied, and
(c) the amount calculated by reference to the contributions in question has been paid in respect of that individual by way of minimum contributions under section 39 of the Pensions Act (contributions to personal pension schemes),
for that individual to be treated for the purposes of that Act as if that individual had been an employed earner and, accordingly, the amount had been properly paid.”.
131.—(1) In section 23(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (contribution conditions: supplemental), for 22(1)(a) substitute “22(1)”.
(2) Omit section 54(4) of that Act (effect on advance claims for retirement pension of deferral of entitlement).
(3) For section 55 of that Act substitute—
55.—(1) Where a person's entitlement to a Category A or Category B retirement pension is deferred, Schedule 5 to this Act shall have effect for increasing the rate of pension.
(2) For the purposes of this Act a person's entitlement to a Category A or Category B retirement pension is deferred if and so long as that person—
(a) does not become entitled to that pension by reason only—
(i) of not satisfying the conditions of section 1 of the Administration Act (entitlement to benefit dependent on claim), or
(ii) in the case of a Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of a spouse's contributions, of the spouse not satisfying those conditions with respect to his Category A retirement pension; or
(b) in consequence of an election under section 54(1) above, falls to be treated as not having become entitled to that pension;
and, in relation to any such pension, period of deferment shall be construed accordingly.”.
(4) In section 121(1) of that Act (interpretation of Parts I to VI), after the definition of week insert—
“working life has the meaning given by paragraph 5(8) of Schedule 3 to this Act.” .
(5) In paragraph 5(8) of Schedule 3 to that Act (contribution conditions: meaning of working life) for this paragraph substitute “Parts I to VI of this Act”.
132. An order under Article 1 appointing a day for the coming into operation of any provisions of this Part, being 6th April in any year, may designate that day as the principal appointed day for the purposes of this Part.
133.—(1) In section 3 of the Pension Schemes Act (issue of contracting-out, etc. certificates), after subsection (2) insert—
“(2A) The regulations may provide, in the case of contracting-out certificates issued before the principal appointed day, for their cancellation by virtue of the regulations—
(a) at the end of a prescribed period beginning with (and including) that day, or
(b) if prescribed conditions are not satisfied at any time in that period,
but for them to continue to have effect until so cancelled; and the regulations may provide that a certificate having effect on and after that day by virtue of this subsection is to have effect, in relation to any earner's service on or after that day, as if issued on or after that day.
(2B) In this Act the principal appointed day means the day designated by an order under Article 1 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 as the principal appointed day for the purposes of Part IV of that Order.” .
(2) In section 4 of that Act (definition of terms), for subsection (1)(a)(i) substitute—
“(i) his service in the employment is for the time being service which qualifies him for a pension provided by an occupational pension scheme contracted out by virtue of satisfying section 5(2) (in this Act referred to as a salary related contracted-out scheme),” .
(3) In section 5 of that Act (requirements for certification of schemes: general), for subsection (2) (requirement for guaranteed minimum pension) substitute—
“(2) An occupational pension scheme satisfies this subsection only if—
(a) in relation to any earner's service before the principal appointed day, it satisfies the conditions of subsection (2A); and
(b) in relation to any earner's service on or after that day, it satisfies the conditions of subsection (2B).
(2A) The conditions of this subsection are that—
(a) the scheme complies in all respects with sections 9 to 19 or, in such cases or classes of case as may be prescribed, with those sections as modified by regulations; and
(b) the rules of the scheme applying to guaranteed minimum pensions are framed so as to comply with the relevant requirements.
(2B) The conditions of this subsection are that the Department is satisfied that—
(a) the scheme complies with section 8A;
(b) restrictions imposed under Article 40 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (restriction on employer-related investments) apply to the scheme and the scheme complies with those restrictions;
(c) the scheme satisfies such other requirements as may be prescribed (which—
(i) must include requirements as to the amount of the resources of the scheme, and
(ii) may include a requirement that, if the only members of the scheme were those falling within any prescribed class or description, the scheme would comply with section 8A), and
(d) the scheme does not fall within a prescribed class or description;
and is satisfied that the rules of the scheme are framed so as to comply with the relevant requirements.
(2C) Regulations may modify subsection (2B)(a) and (b) in their application to occupational pension schemes falling within a prescribed class or description.” .
(4) In subsection (3) of that section (requirement for protected rights, etc.), in paragraph (a), after case; insert—
“(aa) the Department is satisfied that the scheme does not fall within a prescribed class or description;” .
(5) After section 8 of that Act insert—
8A.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, the scheme must, in relation to the provision of pensions for earners in employed earner's employment, and for their widows or widowers, satisfy the statutory standard.
(2) Subject to regulations made by virtue of section 5(2B)(c)(ii), in applying this section regard must only be had to—
(a) earners in employed earner's employment, or
(b) their widows or widowers,
collectively, and the pensions to be provided for persons falling within paragraph (a) or (b) must be considered as a whole.
(3) For the purposes of this section, a scheme satisfies the statutory standard if the pensions to be provided for such persons are broadly equivalent to, or better than, the pensions which would be provided for such persons under a reference scheme.
(4) Regulations may provided for the manner of, and criteria for, determining whether the pensions to be provided for such persons under a scheme are broadly equivalent to, or better than, the pensions which would be provided for such persons under a reference scheme.
(5) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (4) may provide for the determination to be made in accordance with guidance prepared by a prescribed body and approved by the Department.
(6) The pensions to be provided for such persons under a scheme are to be treated as broadly equivalent to or better than the pensions which would be provided for such persons under a reference scheme if and only if an actuary (who, except in prescribed circumstances, must be the actuary appointed for the scheme in pursuance of Article 47 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995) so certifies.
8B.—(1) This section applies for the purposes of section 8A.
(2) A reference scheme is an occupational pension scheme which—
(a) complies with each of subsections (3) and (4), and
(b) complies with any prescribed requirements.
(3) In relation to earners employed in employed earner's employment, a reference scheme is one which provides—
(a) for them to be entitled to a pension under the scheme commencing at a normal pension age of 65 and continuing for life, and
(b) for the annual rate of the pension at that age to be—
(i) 1/80th of average qualifying earning in the last three tax years preceding the end of service,
multiplied by
(ii) the number of years service, not exceeding such number as would produce an annual rate equal to half the earnings on which it is calculated.
(4) In relation to widows or widowers, a reference scheme is one which provides—
(a) for the widows or widowers of earners employed in employed earner's employment (whether the earners die before or after attaining the age of 65) to be entitled, except in prescribed circumstances, to pensions under the scheme; and
(b) except in prescribed circumstances, for the annual rate of the pensions, at the time when the widows or widowers first become entitled to them, to be—
(i) in the case of widows or widowers of persons whose age when they died was, or was greater than, normal pension age, 50 per cent. of the annual rate which a reference scheme is required to provide for persons of that age, and
(ii) in the case of widows or widowers of other persons, 50 per cent. of the annual rate which a reference scheme would have been required to provide in respect of the persons' actual periods of service if those persons had attained that age.
(5) For the purposes of this section, an earner's qualifying earnings in any tax year are 90 per cent. of the amount by which the earner's earnings—
(a) exceed the qualifying earnings factor for that year; and
(b) do not exceed the upper earnings limit for that year multiplied by fifty-three.
(6) Regulations may modify subsections (2) to (5).
(7) In this section—
normal pension age, in relation to a scheme, means the age specified in the scheme as the earliest age at which pension becomes payable under the scheme (apart from any special provision as to early retirement on grounds of ill-health or otherwise),
qualifying earnings factor, in relation to a tax year, has the meaning given by section 121(1) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, and
upper earnings limit, in relation to a tax year, means the amount specified for that year by regulations made by virtue of section 5(3) of that Act as the upper earnings limit for Class 1 contributions.
8C.—(1) Regulations may prohibit or restrict—
(a) the transfer of any liability—
(i) for the payment of pensions under a relevant scheme, or
(ii) in respect of accrued rights to such pensions,
(b) the discharge of any liability to provide pensions under a relevant scheme, or
(c) the payment of a lump sum instead of a pension payable under a relevant scheme,
except in prescribed circumstances or on prescribed conditions.
(2) In this section, relevant scheme means a scheme contracted out by virtue of section 5(2B) and references to pensions and accrued rights under the scheme are to such pensions and rights so far as attributable to an earner's service on or after the principal appointed day.
(3) Regulations under subsection (1) may provide that any provision of this Part shall have effect subject to such modifications as may be specified in the regulations.
8D. In the case of a scheme contracted out by virtue of section 5(2B), regulations may make provision as to the ages by reference to which benefits under the scheme are to be paid.”.
134.—(1) In section 36 of the Pension Schemes Act (scope of Chapter II of Part III), in paragraph (b), after members of insert “money purchase contracted-out schemes and members of”.
Para.(2) rep. by 1998 NI 10
(3) For section 38(1) of the Pension Schemes Act (alteration of rates of contributions under section 37) substitute—
“(1) Whenever the Secretary of State makes an order under section 42 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (determination of reduced rates of Class 1 contributions for members of salary related contracted-out schemes), the Department may make a corresponding order for Northern Ireland.” .
(4) After that section insert—
38A.—(1) Subsections (2) and (3) apply where—
(a) the earnings paid to or for the benefit of an earner in any tax week are in respect of an employment which is contracted-out employment at the time of the payment, and
(b) the earner's service in the employment is service which qualifies him for a pension provided by a money purchase contracted-out scheme.
(2) The amount of a Class 1 contribution in respect of so much of the earnings paid in that week in respect of that employment as exceeds the current lower earnings limit but not the current upper earnings limit for that week (or the prescribed equivalents if he is paid otherwise than weekly) shall be reduced by an amount equal to the appropriate flat-rate percentage of that part of those earnings.
(3) The Department shall, except in prescribed circumstances or in respect of prescribed periods, pay in respect of that earner and that tax week to the trustees or managers of the scheme or, in prescribed circumstances, to a prescribed person, the amount by which—
(a) the appropriate age-related percentage of that part of those earnings,
exceeds
(b) the appropriate flat-rate percentage of that part of those earnings.
(4) Regulations may make provisions—
(a) as to the manner in which and time at which or period within which payments under subsection (3) are to be made,
(b) for the adjustment of the amount which would otherwise be payable under that subsection so as to avoid the payment of trivial or fractional amounts,
(c) for earnings to be calculated or estimated in such manner and on such basis as may be prescribed for the purpose of determining whether any, and if so what, payments under subsection (3) are to be made.
(5) If the Department pays an amount under subsection (3) which it is not required to pay or is not required to pay to the person to whom, or in respect of whom, the Department pays it, the Department may recover it from any person to whom, or in respect of whom, the Department paid it.
(6) Where—
(a) an earner has ceased to be employed in an employment, and
(b) earnings are paid to him or for his benefit within the period of six weeks, or such other period as may be prescribed, from the day on which he so ceased,
that employment shall be treated for the purposes of this section as contracted-out employment at the time when the earnings are paid if it was contracted-out employment in relation to the earner when he was last employed in it.
(7) Subsection (3) of section 37 applies for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of that.
38B. Whenever the Secretary of State makes an order under section 42B of the Pension Schemes Act 1993, (determination and alteration of reduced rates of primary and secondary Class 1 contributions for members of money purchase contracted-out schemes), the Department may make a corresponding order for Northern Ireland.”
(5) In Schedule 3 to that Act (priority in bankruptcy, etc), in paragraph 2(3)—
(a) in paragraph (a), for 4.8 per cent. substitute “the percentage for non-contributing earners”,
(b) in paragraph (b), for 3 per cent. substitute “the percentage for contributing earners”.
(6) In paragraph 2(5) of that Schedule—
(a) before the definition of employer insert—
“appropriate flat-rate percentage means the appropriate flat rate percentage for the purposes of section 38A(2);” and
(b) after that definition insert—
“the percentage for contributing earners
in relation to a salary related contracted-out scheme, 3 per cent, and
in relation to a money purchase contracted-out scheme, the percentage which is the appropriate flat-rate percentage for secondary Class 1 contributions,
the percentage for non-contributing earners means—
in relation to a salary related contracted-out scheme, 4.8 per cent, and
in relation to a money purchase contracted-out scheme, a percentage equal to the sum of the appropriate flat-rate percentages for primary and secondary Class 1 contributions;” .
135.—(1) Section 41 of the Pension Schemes Act (minimum contribution to personal pension schemes) is amended as setout in paragraphs (2) to (4).
(2) For subsection (1) substitute—
“(1) In relation to any tax week falling within a period for which the Department is required to pay minimum contributions in respect of an earner, the amount of those contributions shall be an amount equal to the appropriate age-related percentage of so much of the earnings paid in that week (other than earnings in respect of contracted-out employment) as exceeds the current lower earnings limit but not the current upper earnings limit for that week (or the prescribed equivalents if he is paid otherwise than weekly).” .
(3) Subsection (2) is omitted.
(4) In subsection (3)(e), the words following prescribed period are omitted.
(5) After that section insert—
41A. Whenever the Secretary of State makes an order under section 45A of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (determination and alteration of rates of contributions to personal pension schemes) the Department may make a corresponding order for Northern Ireland.”.
136. After section 41A of the Pension Schemes Act (inserted by Article 135) insert—
41B.—(1) Regulations may make provision for the manner in which an earner's age is to be verified in determining the appropriate age-related percentages for the purposes of section 38A and 41(1).
(2) Information held by the Department as to the age of any individual may, whether or not it was obtained in pursuance of regulations under subsection (1), be disclosed by the Department—
(a) to the trustees or managers of a money purchase contracted-out scheme or an appropriate personal pension scheme, and
(b) to such other persons as may be prescribed,
in connection with the making of payments under section 38A(3) or the payment of minimum contributions.”.
137.—(1) After section 44 of the Pension Schemes Act insert—
44A.—(1) In relation to any tax week there—
(a) the amount of a Class 1 contribution in respect of the earnings paid to or for the benefit of an earner in that week is reduced under section 37 or 38A, or
(b) an amount is paid under section 41(1) in respect of the earnings paid to or for the benefit of an earner,
section 44(6) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (earnings factors for additional pension) shall have effect, except in prescribed circumstances, as if no primary Class 1 contributions had been paid or treated as paid upon those earnings for that week and section 45A of that Act did not apply (where it would, apart from this subsection, apply).
(2) Where the whole or part of a contributions equivalent premium has been paid or treated as paid in respect of the earner, the Department may make a determination reducing or eliminating the application of subsection (1).
(3) Subsection (1) is subject to regulations under paragraph 5(3A) to (3E) of Schedule 1.
(4) Regulations may, so far as is required for the purpose of providing entitlement to additional pension (such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992) but to the extent only that amount of additional pension is attributable to provision made by regulations under section 45(5) of that Act, disapply subsection (1).
(5) In relation to earners where, by virtue of subsection (1), section 44(6) of Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 has effect, in any tax year, as mentioned in that subsection in relation to some but not all of their earnings, regulations may modify the application of section 44(5) of that Act.”.
(2) In section 44 of the Pension Schemes Act (effect of membership of money purchase contracted-out scheme or appropriate scheme on payment of social security benefits), in subsection (2), paragraph (b) is omitted and, in paragraph (c), if the earner dies before reaching pensionable age is omitted.
(3) Section 44 of that Act shall cease to have effect in relation to minimum payments made, or minimum contributions paid, on or after the principal appointed day.
138.—(1) In section 51 of the Pension Schemes Act (payment of state scheme premiums on termination of certified status), for subsection (2) substitute—
“(2) Where—
(a) an earner is serving in employment which is contracted-out employment by reference to an occupational pension scheme (other than a money purchase contracted-out scheme),
(b) paragraph (a) ceases to apply, by reason of any of the following circumstances, before the earner attains the scheme's normal pension age or (if earlier) the end of the tax year preceding that in which the earner attains pensionable age, and
(c) the earner has served for less than two years in the employment,
the prescribed person may elect to pay a premium under this subsection (referred to in this Act as a contributions equivalent premium).
(2A) The circumstances referred to in subsection (2) are that—
(a) the earner's service in the employment ceases otherwise than on the earner's death,
(b) the earner ceases to be a member of the scheme otherwise than on the earner's death,
(c) the earner's service in the employment ceases on the earner's death and the earner dies leaving a widow or widower,
(d) the scheme is wound up,
(e) the scheme ceases to be a contracted-out occupational pension scheme;
but paragraph (a), (b), (d) or (e) does not apply if the earner has an accrued right to short service benefit.” .
(2) In Schedule 1 to that Act, in paragraph 5 (state scheme premiums)—
(a) in sub-paragraph (3)—
(i) omit , in relation to state scheme premiums,,
(ii) omit paragraph (b), and
(iii) at the end add—
“and in this sub-paragraph and the following provisions of this paragraph premium means a contributions equivalent premium” ,
(b) after sub-paragraph (3) insert—
“(3A) Sub-paragraph (3B) applies in relation to a member of a contracted-out occupational pension scheme which is being wound up if, in the opinion of the Department—
(a) the resources of the scheme are insufficient to meet the whole of the liability for the cash equivalent of the member's rights under the scheme, and
(b) if the resources of the scheme are sufficient to meet a part of that liability, that part is less than the amount required for restoring his State scheme rights.
(3B) Where this sub-paragraph applies—
(a) regulations may provide for treating the member as if sections 42 to 44 or, as the case may be, section 44A(1) did not apply, or applied only to such extent as is determined in accordance with the regulations, and
(b) the amount required for restoring the member's State scheme rights, or a prescribed part of that amount, shall be a debt due from the trustees or managers of the scheme to the Department.
(3C) Regulations may make provision—
(a) for determining the cash equivalent of a member's rights under a scheme and the extent (if any) to which the resources of the scheme are insufficient to meet the liability for that cash equivalent,
(b) for the recovery of any debt due under sub-paragraph (3B)(b), and
(c) for determining the amount required for restoring a member's State scheme rights including provision requiring the Department to apply whichever prescribed actuarial table in force at the appropriate time is applicable.
(3D) Section 151 shall apply as if sub-paragraphs (3A) and (3B), and regulations made by virtue of those sub-paragraphs, were included among the provisions there referred to.
(3E) In sub-paragraphs (3A) and (3B), State scheme rights, in relation to a member of a scheme, are the rights for which, if the scheme had not been a contracted-out scheme, the member would have been eligible by virtue of section 44(6) of Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (earnings factors for additional pension.” , and
(c) omit sub-paragraph (5).
139.—(1) Section 24 of the Pension Schemes Act (ways of giving effect to protected rights) is amended as follows.
Paras. (2)(3) rep. by 1999 NI 11
(4) In subsection (3)—
(a) in paragraph (b), after the member insert “or, where section 24A(2) applies, the member's widow or widower”,
Sub-para. (b) rep. by 1999 NI 11
(5) In subsection (4)(a), for the words from 65 to the end substitute—
“65 or such later date as has been agreed by him, or
(ii) in the case of a personal pension scheme, where the member has elected to receive payments under an interim arrangement, the date by reference to which the member elects to terminate that arrangement, and otherwise such date as has been agreed by him and is not earlier than his 60th birthday nor later than his 75th birthday.”
(6) In subsection (5), after subsection insert “(1A),”.
(7) After subsection (7) add—
“(8) In this section and sections 24A, 24B and 25—
the interim period means the period beginning with (and including) the starting date in relation to the member in question and ending with the termination date;
the starting date, means the date, which must not be earlier than the member's 60th birthday, by reference to which the member elects to begin to receive payments under the interim arrangement;
the termination date means the date by reference to which the member (or, where section 24A(2) applies, the member's widow or widower) elects to terminate the interim arrangement, and that date must be not later than—
(a) the member's 75th birthday, or
(b) where section 24A(2) applies, the earlier of the member's widow or widower's 75th birthday and the 75th anniversary of the member's birth.”
140. After section 24 of the Pension Schemes Act insert—
24A.—(1) An interim arrangement must provide for payments to be made to the member, and, where subsection (2) applies, to the member's widow or widower, throughout the interim period, at intervals not exceeding twelve months.
(2) This subsection applies where the member dies during the interim period and is survived by a widow or widower who at the date of the member's death has not yet attained the age of 75 years.
(3) The aggregate amount of payments made to a person under an interim arrangement in each successive period of twelve months must not be—
(a) greater than the annual amount of the annuity which would have been purchasable by him on the relevant reference date, or
(b) less than the prescribed percentage of that amount
(4) The percentage prescribed under subsection (3)(b) may be zero.
(5) For the purposes of this section—
(a) the annual amount of the annuity which would have been purchasable by a person on any date shall be calculated in the prescribed manner by reference to—
(i) the value on that date, determined by or on behalf of the trustees or managers of the scheme, of the person's protected rights, and
(ii) the current published tables of rates of annuities prepared by the Government Actuary for the purposes of section 28A of the Pension Schemes Act 1993, and
(b) the relevant reference date is—
(i) in relation to payments made to the member during the three years beginning with (and including) the member's starting date, that date, and in relation to such payments made during each succeeding period of three years, the first day of the period of three years in question, or
(ii) where subsection (2) applies, in relation to payments made to the member's widow or widower during the three years beginning with (and including) the date of the member's death, that date, and in relation to such payments made during each succeeding period of three years, the first day of the period of three years in question.
24B.—(1) The trustees or managers of a personal pension scheme must, if required to do so by the Department, produce any document relevant to—
(a) the level of payments made under any interim arrangement, or
(b) the value of protected rights to which such an arrangement gives effect,
or otherwise connected with the making of payments under such an arrangement.
(2) In this section, document includes information recorded in any form, and the reference to the production of a document, in relation to information recorded otherwise than in legible form, is a reference to producing a copy of the information in legible form.”.
141.—(1) Section 25 of the Pension Schemes Act (the pension and annuity requirements) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (1) for paragraph (a) substitute—
“(a) in the case of an occupational pension scheme it commences on a date—
(i) not earlier than the member's 60th birthday, and
(ii) not later than his 65th birthday,
or on such later date as has been agreed by him, and continues until the date of his death, or
(aa) in the case of a personal pension scheme—
(i) where the member has elected under section 24(1A) to receive payments under an interim arrangement, it commences on the termination date, and continues until the date of the member's death or, where section 24A(2) applies, until the death of the member's widow or widower, or
(ii) otherwise, it commences on such a date as had been agreed by the member and is not earlier than his 60th birthday nor later than his 75th birthday, and continues until the date of his death;” .
(3) In subsection (3)(b)(iii), after member insert “or, where section 24A(2) applies, the member's widow or widower.”
(4) In subsection (4), after member insert “(or a member's widow or widower)”.
142. Regulations made by the Department may provide that Articles 139 to 141 shall have effect, subject to prescribed modifications, in relation to protected rights under an occupational pension scheme as they have effect in relation to protected rights under a personal pension scheme.
143.—(1) After section 28 of the Pension Schemes Act insert—
28A.—(1) Where an occupational pension scheme is being wound up and such conditions as may be prescribed are satisfied, effect may be given to the protected rights of a member of the scheme (in spite of section 24) by—
(a) taking out an appropriate policy of insurance, or a number of such policies, under which the member is the beneficiary, or
(b) assuring the benefits of a policy of insurance, or a number of such policies, to the member, where the policy assured is an appropriate policy.
(2) A policy of insurance is appropriate for the purposes of this section if—
(a) the insurance company with which it is or was taken out or entered into—
(i) is, or was at the time when the policy was taken out or (as the case may be) the benefit of it was assured, carrying on ordinary long-term insurance business (within the meaning of the Insurance Companies Act 1982) in the United Kingdom or any other member State, and
(ii) satisfies, or at that time satisfied, prescribed requirements, and
(b) it may not be assigned or surrendered except on conditions which satisfy such requirements as may be prescribed,
(c) it contains or is endorsed with terms whose effect is that the amount secured by it may not be commuted except on conditions which satisfy such requirements as may be prescribed, and
(d) it satisfies such other requirements as may be prescribed.”.
(2) At the end of section 24 of that Act, as amended by this Order (ways of giving effect to protected rights), insert—
“(9) This section is subject to section 28A.” .
144. After section 29 of the Pension Schemes Act insert—
29A.—(1) If any person acting as an auditor or actuary of an appropriate scheme has reasonable cause to believe that—
(a) any requirement which, in the case of the scheme, is required by section 5(5)(a) to be satisfied is not satisfied, and
(b) the failure to satisfy the requirement is likely to be of material significance in the exercise by the Department of any of its functions relating to appropriate schemes,
that person must immediately give a written report of the matter to the Department.
(2) No duty to which a person acting as auditor or actuary of an appropriate scheme is subject shall be regarded as contravened merely because of any information or opinion contained in a written report under this section.”.
145.—(1) Paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Contributions and Benefits Act (Class 1 contributions where earner in more than one employment) is amended as follows.
(2) For sub-paragraph (3) substitute—
“(3) The amount of the primary Class 1 contribution shall be the aggregate of the amounts determined under the following paragraphs (applying earlier paragraphs before later ones)—
(a) if the aggregated earnings are paid to or for the benefit of an earner in respect of whom minimum contributions are payable under section 39(1) of the Pensions Act (contributions to personal pension schemes), the amount obtained by applying the rate of primary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to employments which are not contracted-out to such part of the aggregated earnings so attributable as does not exceed the current upper earnings limit (referred to in this paragraph as the APPS earnings);
(b) if some of the aggregated earnings are attributable to COMPS service, the amount obtained by applying the rate of primary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to COMPS service—
(i) to such part of the aggregated earnings attributable to COMPS service as does not exceed the current upper earnings limit; or
(ii) if paragraph (a) applies, to such part of the earnings attributable to COMPS service as, when added to the APPS earnings, does not exceed the current upper earnings limit;
(c) if some of the aggregated earnings are attributable to COSRS service, the amount obtained by applying the rate of primary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to COSRS service—
(i) to such part of the aggregated earnings attributable to COSRS service as does not exceed the current upper earnings limit; or
(ii) if paragraph (a) or (b) applies, to such part of the earnings attributable to COSRS service as, when added to the APPS earnings or the part attributable to COMPS service (or both), does not exceed the current upper earnings limit;
(d) the amount obtained by applying the rate of primary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to employments which are not contracted-out to such part of the aggregated earnings as, when added to the part or parts attributable to COMPS or COSRS service, does not exceed the current upper earnings limit.” .
(3) For sub-paragraph (6) substitute—
“(6) The amount of the secondary Class 1 contribution shall be the aggregate of the amounts determined under the following paragraphs (applying earlier paragraphs before later ones)—
(a) if the aggregated earnings are paid to or for the benefit of an earner in respect of whom minimum contributions are payable under section 39(1) of the Pensions Act, the amount obtained by applying the rate of secondary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to employments which are not contracted-out to the APPS earnings;
(b) if some of the aggregated earnings are attributable to COMPS service, the amount obtained by applying the rate of secondary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to COMPS service to the part of the aggregated earnings attributable to such service;
(c) if some of the aggregated earnings are attributable to COSRS service, the amount obtained by applying the rate of secondary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to COSRS service to the part of the aggregated earnings attributable to such service;
(d) the amount obtained by applying the rate of secondary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to employments which are not contracted-out to the remainder of the aggregated earnings.” .
(4) At the end of that paragraph add—
“(9) In this paragraph—
COMPS service means service in employment in respect of which minimum payments are made to a money purchase contracted-out scheme;
COSRS service means service in employment which qualifies the earner for a pension provided by a salary related contracted-out scheme.” .
(5) Until the principal appointed day, that paragraph, as amended by this Article, shall have effect as if—
(a) for sub-paragraph (3)(b) there were substituted—
“(b) if some of the aggregated earnings are attributable to service in contracted-out employment, the amount obtained by applying the rate of primary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to such service—
(i) to such part of the aggregated earnings attributable to such service as does not exceed the current upper earnings limit, or
(ii) if paragraph (a) applies, to such part of the earnings attributable to such service as, when added to the APPS earnings, does not exceed the current upper earnings limit;,”
(b) sub-paragraph (3)(c) were omitted,
(c) in sub-paragraph (3)(d), for COMPS or COSRS service there were substituted “service in contracted-out employment”,
(d) for sub-paragraph (6)(b) there were substituted—
“(b) if some of the aggregated earnings are attributable to service in contracted-out employment, the amount obtained by applying the rate on secondary Class 1 contributions that would apply if all the aggregated earnings were attributable to such service to the part of the aggregated earnings attributable to such service;,”
(e) sub-paragraph (6)(c) were omitted, and
(f) in sub-paragraph (9) the definitions of COMPS service and COSRS service were omitted.
146.—(1) In spite of anything in sections 5 and 8 of the Pension Schemes Act (requirements for certification and determination of basis on which scheme is contracted-out), the Department may by regulations provide, where the pensions provided by an occupational pension scheme include both—
(a) such pensions that, if the scheme provided only those pensions, it would satisfy section 5(2) of that Act, and
(b) such other pensions that, if the scheme provided only those other pensions, it would satisfy section 5(3) of that Act,
for Part III of that Act to have effect as if the scheme were two separate schemes providing, respectively, the pensions referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b).
(2) Regulations made by the Department may, in connection with any provision made by virtue of paragraph (1), make such modifications of the following enactments, and the instruments made or having effect as if made under them, as appear to the Department desirable—
the Contributions and Benefits Act,
the Pension Schemes Act, and
Part II.
Art. 147—Amendments
148.—(1) Section 89 of the Pension Schemes Act (scope of provisions relating to transfer values) is amended as follows.
(2) For subsection (1)(a) substitute—
“(a) to any member of an occupational pension scheme—
(i) whose pensionable service has terminated at least one year before normal pension age, and
(ii) who on the date on which his pensionable service terminated had accrued rights to benefit under the scheme,
except a member of a salary related occupational pension scheme whose pensionable service terminated before 1st January 1986 and in respect of whom prescribed requirements are satisfied;” .
(3) After subsection (1) insert—
“(1A) For the purposes of this section and the following provisions of this Chapter, an occupational pension scheme is salary related if—
(a) the scheme is not a money purchase scheme, and
(b) the scheme does not fall within a prescribed class.
(1B) Regulations may—
(a) provide for this Chapter not to apply in relation to a person of a prescribed description, or
(b) apply this Chapter with prescribed modifications to occupational pension schemes—
(i) which are not money purchase schemes, but
(ii) where some of the benefits that may be provided are money purchase benefits.” .
149. After section 89 of the Pension Schemes Act insert—
89A.—(1) The trustees or managers of a salary related occupational pension scheme must, on the application of any member, provide the member with a written statement (in this Chapter referred to as a statement of entitlement) of the amount of the cash equivalent at the guarantee date of any benefits which have accrued to or in respect of him under the applicable rules.
(2) In this section—
the applicable rules has the same meaning as in section 90;
the guarantee date means the date by reference to which the value of the cash equivalent is calculated, and must be—
(a) within the prescribed period beginning with the date of the application, and
(b) within the prescribed period ending with the date on which the statement of entitlement is provided to the member.
(3) Regulations may make provision in relation to applications for a statement of entitlement, including, in particular, provision as to the period which must elapse after the making of such an application before a member may make a further such application.
(4) If, in the case of any scheme, a statement of entitlement has not been provided under this section, Article 10 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (power of the Regulatory Authority to impose civil penalties) applies to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure compliance with this section.”.
150.—(1) In paragraph (a) of section 90(1) of the Pension Schemes Act—
(a) after occupational pension scheme insert “other than a salary related scheme”, and
(b) after terminates insert “(whether before or after 1st January 1986)”.
(2) After that paragraph insert—
“(aa) a member of a salary related occupational pension scheme who has received a statement of entitlement and has made a relevant application within three months beginning with the guarantee date in respect of that statement acquires a right to his guaranteed cash equivalent;” .
(3) After that subsection insert—
“(1A) For the purposes of subsection (1)(aa), a person's guaranteed cash equivalent is the amount stated in the statement of entitlement mentioned in that subsection.” .
(4) In subsection (2) of that section, after the definition of the applicable rules insert—
“the guarantee date has the same meaning as in section 89A(2);” .
(5) After that subsection insert—
“(3) Regulations may provide that, in prescribed circumstances, subsection (1)(aa) does not apply to members of salary related occupational pension schemes or applies to them with prescribed modifications.” .
151.—(1) For section 164 of the Pension Schemes Act substitute—
164.—(1) Regulations under any provision of this Act (other than Chapter II of Part VII) may make such provision as is referred to in subsection (2) or (4) for the contravention of any provision contained in regulations made or having effect as if made under any provision of this Act.
(2) The regulations may provide for the contravention to be an offence under this Act and for the recovery on summary conviction of a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
(3) An offence under any provision of the regulations may be charged by reference to any day or longer period of time; and a person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offence under such a provision by reference to any period of time following the preceding conviction of the offence.
(4) The regulations may provide for a person who has contravened the provision to pay to the Regulatory Authority, within a prescribed period, a penalty not exceeding an amount specified in the regulations; and the regulations must specify different amounts in the case of individuals from those specified in other cases and any amount so specified may not exceed the amount for the time being specified in the case of individuals or, as the case may be, others in Article 10(2)(a) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
(5) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (4) do not affect the amount of any penalty recoverable under that subsection by reason of an act or omission occurring before the regulations are made.
(6) Where—
(a) apart from this subsection, a penalty under subsection (4) is recoverable from a body corporate by reason of any act or omission of the body as a trustee of a trust scheme, and
(b) the act or omission was done with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on the part of, any persons mentioned in subsection (7),
such a penalty is recoverable from each of those persons who consented to or connived in the act or omission or to whose neglect the act or omission was attributable.
(7) The persons referred to in subsection (6)(b) are—
(a) any director, manager, secretary, or other similar officer of the body corporate, or a person purporting to act in any such capacity, and
(b) where the affairs of the body corporate are managed by its members, any member in connection with his functions of management.
(8) Where the Regulatory Authority require any person to pay a penalty by virtue of subsection (6), they may not also require the body corporate in question to pay a penalty in respect of the same act or omission.
(9) A penalty under subsection (4) is recoverable by the Authority and any such penalty recovered by the Authority must be paid to the Department.
(10) Where by reason of the contravention of any provision contained in regulations made, or having effect as if made, under this Act—
(a) a person is convicted of an offence under this Act, or
(b) a person pays a penalty under subsection (4),
then, in respect of that contravention, he shall not, in a case within paragraph (a), be liable to pay such a penalty or, in a case within paragraph (a), be liable to pay such a penalty or, in a case within paragraph (b), be convicted of such an offence.
164A.—(1) Any person who knowingly or recklessly provides the Registrar with information which is false or misleading in a material particular is guilty of an offence if the information—
(a) is provided in purported compliance with a requirement under section 2, or
(b) is provided otherwise than as mentioned in paragraph (a) but in circumstances in which the person providing the information intends, or could reasonably be expected to know, that it would be used by the Registrar for the purpose of discharging his functions under this Act.
(2) Any person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum,
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment or a fine, or both.”.
(2) In section 181 of the Pension Schemes Act (Assembly control of regulations), in subsection (2), before and insert “or 164(2)”.
152. For section 141(2) of the Pension Schemes Act, substitute—
“(2A) The Pensions Ombudsman may (with the approval of the Department as to numbers) appoint such persons to be employees of his as he thinks fit, on such terms and conditions as to remuneration and other matters as the Pensions Ombudsman may with the approval of the Department determine.
(2B) The Department may, on such terms as to payment by the Pensions Ombudsman as the Department thinks fit, make available to the Pensions Ombudsman such additional staff and such other facilities as it thinks fit.
(2C) Any function of the Pensions Ombudsman, other than the determination of complaints made and disputes referred under this Part, may be performed by any—
(a) employee appointed by the Pensions Ombudsman under subsection (2A) or any corresponding provision in force in Great Britain, or
(b) member of staff made available to him under subsection (2B) or any corresponding provision in force in Great Britain,
who is authorised for that purpose by the Pensions Ombudsman.”.
153.—(1) Sections 142 to 147 of the Pension Schemes Act are amended as shown in paragraphs (2) to (11).
(2) In section 142 (investigations concerning the trustees or managers of schemes), for subsection (1) to (4) substitute—
“(1) The Pensions Ombudsman may investigate and determine the following complaints and disputes—
(a) a complaint made to him by or on behalf of an actual or potential beneficiary of an occupational or personal pension scheme who alleges that he has sustained injustice in consequence of maladministration in connection with any act or omission of a person responsible for the management of the scheme,
(b) a complaint made to him—
(i) by or on behalf of a person responsible for the management of an occupational pension scheme who in connection with any act or omission of another person responsible for the management of the scheme, alleges maladministration of the scheme, or
(ii) by or on behalf of the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme who in connection with any act or omission of any trustee or manager of another such scheme, allege maladministration of the other scheme,
and in any case falling within sub-paragraph (ii) references in this Part to the scheme to which the complaint relates is to the other scheme referred to in that sub-paragraph,
(c) any dispute of fact or law which arises in relation to an occupational or personal pension scheme between—
(i) a person responsible for the management of the scheme, and
(ii) an actual or potential beneficiary,
and which is referred to him by or on behalf of the actual or potential beneficiary, and
(d) any dispute of fact or law which arises between the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme and—
(i) another person responsible for the management of the scheme, or
(ii) any trustee or manager of another such scheme,
and which is referred to him by or on behalf of the person, trustee or manager referred to in sub-paragraph (i) or (ii); and in any case falling within sub-paragraph (ii) references in this Part to the scheme to which the reference relates is to the scheme first mentioned in this paragraph.
(2) Complaints and references made to the Pensions Ombudsman must be made to him in writing.
(3) For the purposes of this Part, the following persons (subject to subsection (4)) are responsible for the management of an occupational pension scheme—
(a) the trustees or managers, and
(b) the employer;
but, in relation to a person falling within one of those paragraphs, references in this Part to another person responsible for the management of the same scheme are to a person falling within the other paragraph.
(3A) For the purpose of this Part, a person is responsible for the management of a personal pension scheme if he is a trustee or manager of the scheme.
(4) Regulations may provide that, subject to any prescribed modification or exceptions, this Part shall apply in the case of an occupational or personal pension scheme in relation to any prescribed person or body of persons where the person or body—
(a) is not a trustee or manager or employer, but
(b) is concerned with the financing or administration of, or the provision of benefits under, the scheme,
as if for the purposes of this Part he were a person responsible for the management of the scheme.” .
(3) In subsection (7) of section 142, for authorised complainants substitute “`actual or potential beneficiaries'”.
(4) In section 143 (death, insolvency, etc.), in subsections (1) and (2), for authorised complainant (wherever occurring) substitute “actual or potential beneficiary” and in subsection (2) for the authorised complainant's substitute “his”.
(5) In subsection (3) of that section, for an authorised complainant substitute “a person by whom, or on whose behalf, a complaint or reference has been made under this Part”.
(6) In section 144 (staying court proceedings), in subsection (4), for paragraphs (a) and (b) substitute—
“(a) the person by whom, or on whose behalf, the complaint or reference has been made;
(b) any person responsible for the management of the scheme to which the complaint or reference relates;” .
F1(7) In section 145 (procedure on investigation), in subsection (1)(a), for the trustees and managers of the scheme concerned substitute “any person (other than the person by whom, or on whose behalf, the complaint or reference was made) responsible for the management of the scheme to which the complaint or reference relates”.
(8) In section 146 (investigations: further provisions), in subsection (1)(a), for any trustee or manager of the scheme concerned substitute “any person responsible for the management of the scheme to which the complaint or reference relates”.
(9) In section 147 (determinations of Pensions Ombudsman), for subsection (1)(a) and (b) substitute—
“(a) to the person by whom, or on whose behalf, the complaint or reference was made; and
(b) to any person (if different) responsible for the management of the scheme to which the complaint or reference relates;” .
(10) In subsection (2) of that section, for the trustees or managers of the scheme concerned substitute “any person responsible for the management of the scheme to which the complaint or reference relates”.
(11) In subsection (3) of that section, for paragraphs (a) to (c) substitute—
“(a) the person by whom, or on whose behalf, the complaint or reference was made;
(b) any person (if different) responsible for the management of the scheme to which the complaint or reference relates; and
(c) any person claiming under a person falling within paragraph (a) or (b).” .
F1 prosp. rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
154. In section 145 of the Pension Schemes Act—
(a) after subsection (3)(b) insert “and
(c) for the payment by the Pensions Ombudsman of such travelling and other allowances (including compensation for loss of remunerative time) as the Department may determine, to—
(i) actual or potential beneficiaries of a scheme to which a complaint or reference relates, or
(ii) persons appearing and being heard on behalf of such actual or potential beneficiaries,
who attend at the request of the Pensions Ombudsman any oral hearing held in connection with an investigation into the complaint or dispute”, and
(b) at the end of subsection (3)(a), omit and.
155.—(1) In section 145 of the Pension Schemes Act, after subsection (4) add—
“(5) The Pensions Ombudsman may disclose any information which he obtains for the purposes of an investigation under this Part to any person to whom subsection (6) applies, if the Ombudsman considers that the disclosure would enable or assist that person to discharge any of his functions.
(6) This subsection applies to the following—
(a) the Regulatory Authority,
(b) the Pensions Compensation Board,
(c) the Registrar,
(d) any Northern Ireland department or department of the Government of the United Kingdom,
(e) the Bank of England,
(f) the Friendly Societies Commission,
(g) the Building Societies Commission,
(h) an inspector appointed by the Department of Economic Development under Part XV of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986F1,
(i) an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State under Part XIV of the Companies Act 1985F2 or section 94 or 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986F3,
(j) a person authorised under section 106 of the Financial Services Act 1986 to exercise powers conferred by section 105 of that Act,
(k) a designated agency or transferee body or the competent authority, within the meaning of that Act, and
(l) a recognised self-regulating organisation, recognised professional body, recognised investment exchange or recognised clearing house, within the meaning of that Act.
(7) The Department may by order—
(a) amend subsection (6) by adding any person or removing any person for the time being specified in that subsection, or
(b) restrict the circumstances in which, or impose conditions subject to which, disclosure may be made to any person for the time being specified in that subsection.” .
(2) In section 147 of that Act, in subsection (7)(a), after this section insert—
“(aa) in disclosing any information under section 145(5),” .
156. After section 147 of the Pension Schemes Act insert—
147A. Where under this Part the Pensions Ombudsman directs a person responsible for the management of an occupational or personal pension scheme to make any payment in respect of benefit under the scheme which, in his opinion, ought to have been paid earlier, his direction may also require the payment of interest at the prescribed rate.”.
157. Sections 132 to 137 (modification) and 138 and 139 (winding up) of the Pension Schemes Act shall cease to have effect.
158.—(1) This Article applies to any pension provided to give effect to protected rights of a member of a personal pension scheme if—
(a) there is in force, or was in force at any time after the appointed day, an appropriate scheme certificate issued in accordance with Chapter I or Part III (certification) of the Pension Schemes Act, and
(b) apart from this Article, the annual rate of the pension would not be increased each year by at least the appropriate percentage of that rate.
(2) Where a pension to which this Article applies, or any part of it, is attributable to contributions in respect of employment carried on on or after the appointed day—
(a) the annual rate of the pension, or
(b) if only part of the pension is attributable to contributions in respect of employment carried on on or after the appointed day, so much of the annual rate as is attributable to that part,
must be increased annually by at least the appropriate percentage.
159.—(1) The first increase required by Article 158 in the rate of a pension must take effect not later than the first anniversary of the date on which the pension is first paid, and subsequent increases must take effect at intervals of not more than 12 months.
(2) Where the first such increase is to take effect on a date when the pension has been in payment for a period of less than 12 months, the increase must be of an amount at least equal to one twelfth of the amount of the increase so required (apart from this paragraph) for each complete month in that period.
(3) In Article 158 and this Article—
annual rate, in relation to a pension, means the annual rate of the pension, as previously increased under the rules of the scheme or under Article 158,
the appointed day means the day appointed under Article 1 for the commencement of Article 158,
appropriate percentage, in relation to an increase in the whole or part of the annual rate of a pension, means the revaluation percentage for the revaluation period the reference period for which ends with the last preceding 30th September before the increase is made (expressions used in this definition having the same meaning as in Article 54(3)),
pension, in relation to a scheme, means any pension in payment under the scheme and includes an annuity,
protected rights has the meaning given by section 6 of the Pension Schemes Act (money purchase benefits).
160. In section 40 of the Pension Schemes Act (earner's chosen scheme)—
(a) in subsection (1), after paragraph (b) insert—
“then unless the Department rejects the notice on either or both of the grounds mentioned in subsection (1A)” , and
(b) after the subsection insert—
“(1A) The grounds referred to in subsection (1) are that the Department is of the opinion—
(a) that section 27(5) is not being complied with in respect of any members of the scheme,
(b) that, having regard to any other provisions of sections 22 to 28 and 39 to 41, it is inexpedient to allow the scheme to be the chosen scheme of any further earners.” .
161. For section 170 of the Pension Schemes Act substitute—
170.—(1) For the purpose of meeting expenditure—
(a) under section 2,
(b) under Part X and section 169, or
(c) of the Regulatory Authority (including the establishment of the authority and, if the authority are appointed as Registrar under section 6 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993, their expenditure as Registrar),
regulations may make provision for imposing levies in respect of prescribed occupational or prescribed personal pension schemes.
(2) Any levy imposed under subsection (1) is payable to the Department by or on behalf of—
(a) the administrators of any prescribed public service pension scheme,
(b) the trustees or managers of any other prescribed occupational or prescribed personal pension scheme, or
(c) any other prescribed person,
at prescribed rates and at prescribed times.
(3) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (1)—
(a) in determining the amount of any levy in respect of the Regulatory Authority, must take account (among other things) of any amounts paid to the Department under section 164(4) or Article 10 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, and
(b) in determining the amount of expenditure in respect of which any levy is to be imposed, may take one year with another and, accordingly, may have regard to expenditure estimated to be incurred in current or future periods and to actual expenditure incurred in previous periods (including periods ending before the coming into operation of this subsection).
(4) Regulations may make provision for imposing a levy in respect of prescribed occupational pension schemes for the purpose of meeting expenditure of the Pensions Compensation Board (including the establishment of the Board).
(5) Any levy imposed under subsection (4) is payable to the Board by or on behalf of—
(a) the trustees of any prescribed occupational pension scheme, or
(b) any other prescribed person,
at prescribed times and at a rate not exceeding the prescribed rate, determined by the Board.
(6) In determining the amount of expenditure in respect of which any levy under subsection (4) is to be imposed, the Board, and regulations made by virtue of subsection (5), may take one year with another and, accordingly, may have regard to expenditure estimated to be incurred in current or future periods and to actual expenditure incurred in previous periods (including periods ending before the coming into operation of this subsection).
(7) Notice of the rates determined by the Board under subsection (5) must be given to prescribed persons in the prescribed manner.
(8) An amount payable by a person on account of a levy imposed under this section shall be a debt due from him to the appropriate person, that is—
(a) if the levy is imposed under subsection (1), the Department, and
(b) if the levy is imposed under subsection (4), the Board,
and an amount so payable shall be recoverable by the appropriate person accordingly or, if the appropriate person so determines, be recoverable by the Registrar on behalf of the appropriate person.
(9) Without prejudice to the generality of subsections (1) and (4), regulations under this section may include provision relating to—
(a) the collection and recovery of amounts payable by way of levy under this section, or
(b) the circumstances in which any such amount may be waived.”.
162.—(1) In the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978F2, after Article 27A insert—
27B.—(1) The matters to which the court is to have regard under Article 27(2) include—
(a) in the case of sub-paragraph (a), any benefits under a pension scheme which a party to the marriage has or is likely to have; and
(b) in the case of sub-paragraph (h), any benefits under a pension scheme which, by reason of the dissolution or annulment of the marriage, a partly to the marriage will lose the chance of acquiring,
and, accordingly, in relation to benefits under a pension scheme, Article 27(2)(a) shall have effect as if in the foreseeable future were omitted.
(2) In any proceedings for a financial provision order under Article 25 in a case where a party to the marriage has, or is likely to have, any benefit under a pension scheme, the court shall, in addition to considering any other matter which it is required to consider apart from this paragraph, consider—
(a) whether having regard to any matter to which it is required to have regard in the proceedings by virtue of paragraph (1), such an order (whether deferred or not) should be made; and
(b) where the court determines to make such an order, how the terms of the order should be affected, having regard to any such matter.
(3) The following provisions apply where, having regard to any benefits under a pension scheme, the court determines to make an order under Article 25.
(4) To the extent to which the order is made having regard to any benefits under a pension scheme, the order may require the trustees or managers of the pension scheme in question, if at any time any payment in respect of any benefits under the scheme becomes due to the party with pension rights, to make a payment for the benefit of the other party.
(5) The amount of any payment which, by virtue of paragraph (4), the trustees or managers are required to make under the order at any time shall not exceed the amount of the payment which is due at that time to the party with pension rights.
(6) Any such payment by the trustees or managers—
(a) shall discharge so much of the trustees' or managers' liability to the party with pension rights as corresponds to the amount of the payment; and
(b) shall be treated for all purposes as a payment made by the party with pension rights in or towards the discharge of his liability under the order.
(7) Where the party with pension rights may require any benefits which he has or is likely to have under the scheme to be commuted, the order may require him to commute the whole or part of those benefits; and this Article applies to the payment of any amount commuted in pursuance of the order as it applies to other payments in respect of benefits under the scheme.
27C.—(1) The power of the court under Article 25 to order a party to a marriage to pay a lump sum to the other party includes, where the benefits which the party with pension rights has or is likely to have under a pension scheme include any lump sum payable in respect of his death, power to make any of the following provision by the order.
(2) The court may—
(a) if the trustees or managers of the pension scheme in question have power to determine the person to whom the sum, or any part of it, is to be paid, require them to pay the whole or part of that sum, when it becomes due, to the other party;
(b) if the party with pension rights has power to nominate the person to whom the sum, or any part of it, is to be paid, require the party with pension rights to nominate the other party in respect of the whole or part of that sum;
(c) in any other case, require the trustees or managers of the pension scheme in question to pay the whole or part of that sum, when it becomes due, for the benefit of the other party instead of to the person to whom, apart from the order, it would be paid.
(3) Any payment by the trustees or managers under an order made under Article 25 by virtue of this Article shall discharge so much of the trustees', or managers', liability in respect of the party with pension rights as corresponds to the amount of the payment.
27D.—(1) Where—
(a) an order made under Article 25 by virtue of Article 27B or 27C imposes any requirement on the trustees or managers of a pension scheme ( the first scheme) and the party with pension rights acquires transfer credits under another pension scheme ( the new scheme) which are derived (directly or indirectly) from a transfer from the first scheme of all his accrued rights under that scheme (including transfer credits allowed by that scheme); and
(b) the trustees or managers of the new scheme have been given notice in accordance with regulations,
the order shall have effect as if it had been made in respect of the trustees or managers of the new scheme; and in this paragraph transfer credits has the same meaning as in the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993.
(2) Regulations may—
(a) in relation to any provision of Article 27B or 27C which authorises the court making an order under Article 25 to require the trustees or managers of a pension scheme to make a payment for the benefit of the other party, make provision as to the person to whom, and the terms on which, the payment is to be made;
(b) require notices to be given in respect of changes of circumstances relevant to such orders which include provision made by virtue of Articles 27B and 27C;
(c) make provision for the trustees or managers of any pension scheme to provide, for the purposes of orders under Article 25, information as to the value of any benefits under the scheme;
(d) make provision for the recovery of the administrative expenses of—
(i) complying with such orders, so far as they include provision made by virtue of Articles 27B and 27C; and
(ii) providing such information,
from the party with pension rights or the other party;
(e) make provision for the value of any benefits under a pension scheme to be calculated and verified, for the purposes of orders under Article 25, in a prescribed manner;
and regulations made by virtue of sub-paragraph (e) may provide for that value to be calculated and verified in accordance with guidance which is prepared and revisd by a prescribed person and approved by the Department of Health and Social Services.
(3) In this Article and Articles 27B and 27C—
(a) references to a pension scheme include—
(i) a retirement annuity contract; or
(ii) an annuity, or insurance policy, purchased or transferred for the purpose of giving effect to rights under a pension scheme;
(b) in relation to such a contract or annuity, references to the trustees or managers shall be read as references to the provider of the annuity;
(c) in relation to such a policy, references to the trustees or managers shall be read as references to the insurer;
and in Article 27B(1) and (2), references to benefits under a pension scheme include any benefits by way of pension, whether under a pension scheme or not.
(4) In this Article and Articles 27B and 27C—
the party with pension rights means the party to the marriage who has or is likely to have benefits under a pension scheme and the other party means the other party to the marriage;
pension scheme means an occupational pension scheme or a personal pension scheme (applying the definitions in section 1 of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993, but as if the reference to employed earners in the definition of personal pension scheme were to any earners);
prescribed means prescribed by regulations; and
regulations means regulations made by the Lord Chancellor;
and regulations made under this Article shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament in like manner as a statutory instrument and section 5 of the Statutory Instruments Act 1946 shall apply accordingly.”.
(2) In Article 27(2)(h) of that Order (loss of chance to acquire benefits), omit (for example, a pension).
(3) In Article 33 of that Order (variation, discharge, etc. of orders)—
(a) in paragraph (2), after sub-paragraph (d) insert—
“(dd) any deferred order made by virtue of Article 25(1)(c) (lump sums) which includes provision made by virtue of—
(i) Article 27B(4), or
(ii) Article 27C,
(provision in respect of pension rights);” , and
(b) after paragraph (2A) insert—
“(2B) Where the court has made an order referred to in paragraph (2)(dd)(ii), this Article shall cease to apply to the order on the death of either of the parties to the marriage.” .
(4) Nothing in the provisions mentioned in paragraph (5) applies to a court exercising its powers under Article 25 of that Order (financial provision orders in connection with divorce proceedings, etc.) in respect of any benefits under a pension F1 arrangement (within the meaning of Article 27B(1) of that Order) which a party to the marriage has or is likely to have.
(5) The provisions referred to in paragraph (4) are—
(a) section 203(1) and (2) of the Army Act 1955F3, 203(1) and (2) of the Air Force Act 1955F4, 128G(1) and (2) of the Naval Discipline Act 1957F5 or 155(4) and (4A) of the Pension Schemes Act (which prevent assignment, or orders being made restraining a person from receiving anything which he is prevented from assigning),
(b) Article 89,
(c) any provision of any enactment (whether passed or made before or after this Order is made) corresponding to any of the enactments mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b), and
(d) any provision of the F1 arrangement in question corresponding to any of those enactments.
(6) Article 27B(3) to (7) and Article 27C of the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978F6, as inserted by this Article, do not affect the powers of the court under Article 33 of that Order (variation, discharge, etc.) in relation to any order made before the commencement of this Article.
163.—(1) Section 3 of the Pensions (Increase) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971F1 (qualifying conditions for pensions increase) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (2)(c), omit is a woman who.
(3) In subsection (10)—
(a) for woman is in receipt of a pension substitue “person is in receipt of a pension the whole or any part of”, and
(b) for woman and that pension substitute “person and that pension and that pension or part”.
(4) In subsection (11)—
(a) for woman's substitute “person's”, and
(b) for woman substitute “persons,”
and accordingly for she substitute “he”.
(5) This Article has effect, and shall be deemed to have had effect, in relation to pensions commencing after 17th May 1990, and in relation to so much of any such pension as is referable to service on or after that date.
F1 1971 c. 35 (NI)
164.—(1) In prescribed circumstances, the appropriate Department may provide information to any prescribed person in connection with the following questions—
(a) whether an individual who during any period—
(i) has been eligible to be an active member of an occupational pension scheme under the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972F2, but
(ii) has instead made contributions to a personal pension scheme,
has suffered loss as a result of a contravention which is actionable under section 62 of the Financial Services Act 1986F3 F1 or section 150 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (actions for damages in respect of contravention of rules, etc. made under the Act), and
(b) if so, what payment would need to be made to the occupational scheme in respect of the individual to restore the position to what it would have been if the individual had been an active member of the occupational scheme throughout the period in question,
and may impose on that person reasonable fees in respect of administrative expenses incurred in providing that information.
(2) Where—
(a) such an individual as is mentioned in paragraph (1) is admitted or readmitted as an active member of an occupational pension scheme under the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, or
(b) a payment is made to the appropriate Department in respect of such an individual for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (1)(b),
that Department may impose on any prescribed person reasonable fees in respect of administrative expenses incurred in connection with the admission, readmission or payment.
(3) References in paragraphs (1) and (2) to the appropriate Department shall be read—
(a) in the case of an occupational pension scheme under Article 3 of the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972F4 (superannuation of civil servants), as references to the Department of Finance and Personnel, or such person as may be prescribed;
(b) in the case of other occupational pension schemes, as references to such Northern Ireland department as may be designated by the Department of Finance and Personnel as having responsibility for the particular scheme.
(4) In the case of an occupational pension scheme under Article 9 of the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 (superannuation of persons employed in local government, etc.), the references in paragraphs (1) and (2) to the appropriate Department include references to a prescribed person.
(5) In this Article—
prescribed means—
(a) in the case of a scheme made under Article 3 of the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, prescribed by a scheme made by the Department of Finance and Personnel, or
(b) in any other case, prescribed by regulations made by the appropriate Department, and
active member, in relation to an occupational pension scheme, has the same meaning as in Part II.
Art. 165—Amendments
166.—(1) Where a power under this Order to make regulations or an order is expressed to be exercisable for alternative purposes it may be exercised in relation to the same case for any or all of those purposes.
(2) Any power to make regulations or an order for the purposes of any one provision of this Order is without prejudice to any power to make regulations or an order for the purposes of any other provision.
(3) Any power conferred by this Order to make regulations or an order includes power to make such incidental, supplementary, consequential or transitional provision as appears to the authority making the regulations or order to be expedient for the purposes of the regulations or order.
(4) Regulations made under this Order may, for the purposes of or in connection with the coming into operation of any provisions of this Order, make any such provision as could be made by virtue of Article 1(5)(a), by an order bringing those provisions into operation.
167.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2)—
(a) any orders (except orders under Article 1) made under this Order by a Northern Ireland department, and
(b) any regulations made under this Order,
are subject to negative resolution.
(2) Orders and regulations to which this paragraph applies—
(a) must be laid before the Assembly after being made, and
(b) take effect on such date as may be specified in the order or regulations, but (without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder or to the making of a new order or new regulations) cease to have effect upon the expiration of a period of six months from that date unless at some time before the expiration of that period the order or regulations are approved by a resolution of the Assembly.
(3) Paragraph (2) applies in relation in ordersF1 made by virtue of Article 10(2) and regulations made by virtue of—
Sub-para. (a) rep. by 2000 c. 4 (NI)
(b) Article 64(4),
(c) Article 113(1), or
(d) Article 146,
(whether made alone or with other orders or regulations).
(4) Orders (except orders under Article 1) made under this Order by a Minister of the Crown are subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament and section 5 of the Statutory Instruments Act 1946F2 applies accordingly.
Art. 168—Repeals
Schedule 1—Amendments
Article 123.
1. The following rules apply for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security, that is, the following Acts and the instruments (as defined in section 1 of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F1) made, or having effect as if made, under them: the Contributions and Benefits Act, the Administration Act F2, the Pension Schemes Act and the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002.
(1) A man attains pensionable age when he attains the age of 65 years.
(2) A woman born before 6th April 1950 attains pensionable age when she attains the age of 60.
(3) A woman born on any day in a period mentioned in column 1 of the following table attains pensionable age at the commencement of the day shown against that period in column 2.
(4) A woman born after 5th April 1955 attains pensionable age when she attains the age of 65.
(5) Any reference to a period in column 1 includes a reference to the first day of that period.
| (1) | (2) |
|---|---|
| Period within which woman's birthday falls | Day pensionable age attained |
| 6th April 1950 to 5th May 1950 | 6th May 2010 |
| 6th May 1950 to 5th June 1950 | 6th July 2010 |
| 6th June 1950 to 5th July 1950 | 6th September 2010 |
| 6th July 1950 to 5th August 1950 | 6th November 2010 |
| 6th August 1950 to 5th September 1950 | 6th January 2011 |
| 6th September 1950 to 5th October 1950 | 6th March 2011 |
| 6th October 1950 to 5th November 1950 | 6th May 2011 |
| 6th November 1950 to 5th December 1950 | 6th July 2011 |
| 6th December 1950 to 5th January 1951 | 6th September 2011 |
| 6th January 1951 to 5th February 1951 | 6th November 2011 |
| 6th February 1951 to 5th March 1951 | 6th January 2012 |
| 6th March 1951 to 5th April 1951 | 6th March 2012 |
| 6th April 1951 to 5th May 1951 | 6th May 2012 |
| 6th May 1951 to 5th June 1951 | 6th July 2012 |
| 6th June 1951 to 5th July 1951 | 6th September 2012 |
| 6th July 1951 to 5th August 1951 | 6th November 2012 |
| 6th August 1951 to 5th September 1951 | 6th January 2013 |
| 6th September 1951 to 5th October 1951 | 6th March 2013 |
| 6th October 1951 to 5th November 1951 | 6th May 2013 |
| 6th November 1951 to 5th December 1951 | 6th July 2013 |
| 6th December 1951 to 5th January 1952 | 6th September 2013 |
| 6th January 1952 to 5th February 1952 | 6th November 2013 |
| 6th February 1952 to 5th March 1952 | 6th January 2014 |
| 6th March 1952 to 5th April 1952 | 6th March 2014 |
| 6th April 1952 to 5th May 1952 | 6th May 2014 |
| 6th May 1952 to 5th June 1952 | 6th July 2014 |
| 6th June 1952 to 5th July 1952 | 6th September 2014 |
| 6th July 1952 to 5th August 1952 | 6th November 2014 |
| 6th August 1952 to 5th September 1952 | 6th January 2015 |
| 6th September 1952 to 5th October 1952 | 6th March 2015 |
| 6th October 1952 to 5th November 1952 | 6th May 2015 |
| 6th November 1952 to 5th December 1952 | 6th July 2015 |
| 6th December 1952 to 5th January 1953 | 6th September 2015 |
| 6th January 1953 to 5th February 1953 | 6th November 2015 |
| 6th February 1953 to 5th March 1953 | 6th January 2016 |
| 6th March 1953 to 5th April 1953 | 6th March 2016 |
| 6th April 1953 to 5th May 1953 | 6th May 2016 |
| 6th May 1953 to 5th June 1953 | 6th July 2016 |
| 6th June 1953 to 5th July 1953 | 6th September 2016 |
| 6th July 1953 to 5th August 1953 | 6th November 2016 |
| 6th August 1953 to 5th September 1953 | 6th January 2017 |
| 6th September 1953 to 5th October 1953 | 6th March 2017 |
| 6th October 1953 to 5th November 1953 | 6th May 2017 |
| 6th November 1953 to 5th December 1953 | 6th July 2017 |
| 6th December 1953 to 5th January 1954 | 6th September 2017 |
| 6th January 1954 to 5th February 1954 | 6th November 2017 |
| 6th February 1954 to 5th March 1954 | 6th January 2018 |
| 6th March 1954 to 5th April 1954 | 6th March 2018 |
| 6th April 1954 to 5th May 1954 | 6th May 2018 |
| 6th May 1954 to 5th June 1954 | 6th July 2018 |
| 6th June 1954 to 5th July 1954 | 6th September 2018 |
| 6th July 1954 to 5th August 1954 | 6th November 2018 |
| 6th August 1954 to 5th September 1954 | 6th January 2019 |
| 6th September 1954 to 5th October 1954 | 6th March 2019 |
| 6th October 1954 to 5th November 1954 | 6th May 2019 |
| 6th November 1954 to 5th December 1954 | 6th July 2019 |
| 6th December 1954 to 5th January 1955 | 6th September 2019 |
| 6th January 1955 to 5th February 1955 | 6th November 2019 |
| 6th February 1955 to 5th March 1955 | 6th January 2020 |
| 6th March 1955 to 5th April 1955 | 6th March 2020 |
2.—(1) For sections 83 and 84 of the Contributions and Benefits Act substitute—
83A.—(1) Subject to subsection (3) below, the weekly rate of a Category A or Category C retirement pension payable to a married pensioner shall, for any period mentioned in subsection (2) below, be increased by the amount specified in relation to the pension in Schedule 4, Part IV, column (3).
(2) The periods referred to in subsection (1) above are—
(a) any period during which the pensioner is residing with the spouse, and
(b) any period during which the pensioner is contributing to the maintenance of the spouse at a weekly rate not less than the amount so specified, and the spouse does not have weekly earnings which exceed that amount.
(3) Regulations may provide that for any period during which the pensioner is residing with the spouse and the spouse has earnings there shall be no increase of pension under this section.”.
(2) This paragraph has effect on 6th April 2010.
3.—(1) For sections 49 and 50 of the Contributions and Benefits Act substitute—
48A.—(1) A person who—
(a) has attained pensionable age, and
(b) on attaining that age was a married person or marries after attaining that age,
shall be entitled to a Category B retirement pension by virtue of the contributions of the other party to the marriage ( the spouse) if the following requirement is met.
(2) The requirement is that the spouse—
(a) has attained pensionable age and become entitled to a Category A retirement pension, and
(b) satisfies the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part I, paragraph 5.
(3) During any period when the spouse is alive, a Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of this section shall be payable at the weekly rate specified in Schedule 4, Part I, paragraph 5.
(4) During any period after the spouse is dead, a Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of this section shall be payable at the weekly rate corresponding to—
(a) the weekly rate of the basic pension, plus
(b) half of the weekly rate of the additional pension,
determined in accordance with the provisions of sections 44 to 45A above as they apply in relation to a Category A retirement pension but subject to section 46(2) above and the modification in section 48C(4) below.
(5) A person's Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of this section shall not be payable for any period falling before the day on which the spouse's entitlement is to be regarded as beginning for that purpose by virtue of section 5(1)(1) of the Administration Act.
48B.—(1) A person ( the pensioner whose spouse died—
(a) while they were married, and
(b) after the pensioner attained pensionable age,
shall be entitled to a Category B retirement pension by virtue of the contributions of the spouse if the spouse satisfied the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part I, paragraph 5.
(2) A Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of subsection (1) above shall be payable at a weekly rate corresponding to—
(a) the weekly rate of the basic pension, plus
(b) half of the weekly rate of the additional pension,
determined in accordance with the provision of sections 44 to 45A above as they apply in relation to a Category A retirement pension, but subject to section 46(2) above and the modifications in subsection (3) below and section 48C(4) below.
(3) Where the spouse died under pensionable age, references in the provisions of section 44 to 45A above as applied by subsection (2) above to the tax year in which the pensioner attained pensionable age shall be taken as references to the tax year in which the spouse died.
(4) A person who has attained pensionable age ( he pensioner) whose spouse died before the pensioner attained that age shall be entitled to a Category B retirement pension by virtue of the contributions of the spouse if—
(a) where the pensioner is a woman, the following condition is satisfied, and
(b) where the pensioner is a man, the following condition would have been satisfied on the assumption mentioned in subsection (7) below.
(5) The condition is that the pensioner—
(a) is entitled (or is treated by regulations as entitled) to a widow's pension by virtue of section 38 above, and
(b) became entitled to that pension in consequence of the spouse's death.
(6) A Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of subsection (4) above shall be payable—
(a) where the pensioner is a woman, at the same weekly rate as her widow's pension and
(b) where the pensioner is a man, at the same weekly rate as that of the pension to which he would have been entitled by virtue of section 38 above on the assumption mentioned in subsection (7) below.
(7) The assumption referred to in subsections (4) and (6) above is that a man is entitled to a pension by virtue of section 38 above on the same terms and conditions, and at the same rate, as a woman.
48C.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person's entitlement to a Category B retirement pension shall begin on the day on which the conditions of entitlement become satisfied and shall continue for life.
(2) In any case where—
(a) a person would, apart from section 43(1) above, be entitled both to a Category A and to a Category B retirement pension, and
(b) section 47(1) above would apply for the increase of the Category A retirement pension,
section 47(1) above shall be taken as applying also for the increase of the Category B retirement pension, subject to reduction or extinguishment of the increase by the application of section 47(2) above or section 42(5) of the Pensions Act.
(3) In the case of a pensioner whose spouse died on or before 5th April 2000, sections 48A(4)(b) and 48B(2)(b) above shall have effect with the omission of the words half of.
(4) In the application of the provisions of section 44 to 45A above by virtue of sections 48A(4) or 48B(2) above, references in those provisions to the pensioner shall be taken as references to the spouse.”.
(2) Section 48A of that Act (as inserted by this paragraph) does not confer a right to a Category B retirement pension on a man by reason of his marriage to a woman who was born before 6 April 1950.
(3) Section 48B of that Act (as inserted by this paragraph) does not confer a right to a Category B retirement pension on a man who attains pensionable age before 6th April 2010; and section 51 of that Act does not confer a right to a Category B retirement pension on a man who attains pensionable age on or after that date.
4.—(1) In paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Contributions and Benefits Act (contribution conditions for entitlement to retirement pension), in sub-paragraph (7)(a) (condition that contributor must have paid or been credited with contributions of the relevant class for not less than the requisite number of years modified in the case of those precluded from regular employment by responsibilities at home), omit (or at least 20 of them, if that is less than half).
(2) This paragraph has effect in relation to any person attaining pensionable age on or after 6th April 2010.
5. In section 46(2) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (benefits calculated by reference to Category A retirement pension), for the words following 45(4)(b) above— substitute—
“N =
(a) the number of tax years which begin after 5th April 1978 and end before the date when the entitlement to the additional pension commences, or
(b) the number of tax years in the period—
(i) beginning with the tax year in which the deceased spouse ( S) attained the age of 16 or if later 1978- 79, and
(ii) ending immediately before the tax year in which S would have attained pensionable age if S had not died earlier.
whichever is the smaller number.” .
6.—(1) In section 54(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (election to defer right to pension), in paragraph (a), omit from but to 70
(2) In Schedule 5 to that Act—
(a) in paragraph 2(2), omit the definition of the period of enhancement (and the preceding and), and
(b) for period of enhancement (in every other place in paragraph 2 and 3 where it appears) substitute “period of deferment”.
(3) In paragraph 2(3) of that Schedule, for 1/7th per cent. substitute “1/5th per cent.”.
(4) In paragraph 8 of that schedule, omit sub-paragraphs (1) and (2).
(5) Sub-paragraph (1) comes into operation on 6th April 2010; and sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) have effect in relation to incremental periods beginning on or after that date.
7. In section 62(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (graduated retirement benefit continued in force by regulations)—
(a) in paragraph (a), for replacing section 35(4) of the National Insurance Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 substitute “amending section 35(2) of the National Insurance Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 (value of unit of graduated contributions) so that the value is the same for women as it is for men for replacing section 35(4) of that Act”, and
(b) at the end of paragraph (b) add and for that section (except subsection (5) so to apply as it applies to women and their late husbands.
8. In section 145(4) of that Act (Christmas bonus: supplementary), for 70 in the case of a man or 65 in the case of a woman substitute “65”.
Part III—Amendments
Schedules 3, 4—Amendments
Schedule 5—Repeals
Part III—Amendments
Schedules 3, 4—Amendments
Schedule 5—Repeals