Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000

Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000

2000 CHAPTER 19

Part II: Pensions.

Commentary on Sections

Chapter II: Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes

Selection of trustees and of directors of corporate trustees

Section 43: Member-nominated trustees

462. This section amends section 16 to provide a revised statutory framework for appointing member-nominated trustees.

463. The revised provisions make no distinction between “arrangements” and “appropriate rules” so subsections (2) to (4) remove references to “appropriate rules” from section 16 of the Pensions Act.

464. Subsection (5) incorporates the substance of section 20(3) of the Pensions Act into section 16. Member-nominated trustees must serve a term of office of between three and six years and be eligible for reselection. The existing section 16(6), which provides for the determination of the minimum number of member-nominated trustees, and for this number to be exceeded only if the employer agrees, remains unchanged.

465. Subsection (6) incorporates the substance of section 20(5) of the Pensions Act by inserting a new subsection (6A) into section 16. An employer may require that a non-member can only stand for nomination as a member-nominated trustee if the employer approves.

466. Section 16(7), which provides for all member-nominated trustees to have the same powers remains unchanged.

467. Subsection (7) amends section 16(8) to enable arrangements under section 16 to provide for a trustee who changes category of membership (for example, from active to deferred) to cease to be a trustee. The requirement for a member-nominated trustee to stand down if they cease to be a member remains unchanged.

468. Subsection (8) introduces two new subsections to section 16. The new section 16(9) is a regulation-making power that will be used to prescribe what is meant by “nominated and selected by members”, and to further stipulate details of the arrangements the trustees are required to make for nominating and selecting member-nominated trustees. The intention is to give trustees flexibility to adopt arrangements that best suit the circumstances of the scheme, for example by dividing the membership into separate constituencies. Regulations will provide that all active and pensioner members must be given the opportunity to make nominations. The new section 16(10) incorporates the provisions of section 17(4) of the Pensions Act into section 16. As now, the regulations will provide for exemptions for certain types of scheme. Schemes that are currently exempt will continue to be so.

469. Subsection (9) repeals section 17 of the Pensions Act (employer’s right to propose alternative arrangements).