Pensions Bill — 2 Mar 2004 at 18:45

A majority of MPs voted against the amendment proposed by the Conservatives that the Pensions Bill should not be given a second reading; or in other words, voted to give it a second reading. A second reading is the next stage in the process of the bill's becoming law.

The Minister for Pensions, Malcolm Wicks, argued:

The Bill is an important step forward in security and confidence in pensions. It strengthens protection and strengthens regulation. It cuts complexity in the system, making it easier for firms to run pensions and helping to cut costs. It will increase choices for people over the timing and pace of their retirement. It reflects the extensive consultation that we have undertaken. Those are all crucial building blocks for confidence in pensions, rebuilding the pensions partnership for the 21st century. The Bill will, I hope, command widespread support in the House.

The amendment that was defeated read:

That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Pensions Bill because it fails to provide encouragement for individuals to save for their retirement or for companies to keep open existing pension schemes or start new ones and does nothing to mitigate the effect on the savings culture of the expansion of means-tested benefits in retirement; it omits measures permitting simplification and amendment of pension schemes' terms, abolishing compulsory AVC provision, simplifying anti-franking provisions, permitting people to continue working part-time for a company after retirement, abolishing or modifying Guaranteed Minimum Pensions, and new vesting arrangements; and further fails to provide help for the estimated 60,000 people who have already lost all or most of their pension entitlement.
The Pensions Bill became the Pensions Act 2004 which contains many provisions intended to improve the regulation of occupational pension schemes, making them more reliable and attractive.

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (No)Minority (Aye)BothTurnout
Con0 145 (+2 tell)090.7%
DUP0 4066.7%
Independent1 0050.0%
Independent Conservative0 20100.0%
Lab338 (+2 tell) 0083.3%
LDem39 0072.2%
PC4 00100.0%
SNP5 00100.0%
UUP1 3080.0%
Total:388 154084.3%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Sylvia HermonNorth DownUUP (front bench)no

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