Sections 244 and 245: Pensions
253.The BRB has for many years past had a practice of making provision for indexation of certain pensions arising under very old pension schemes (largely schemes of the old pre-BRB railway companies), where the schemes themselves did not make adequate provision for such indexation. Section 244 converts the BRB’s customary practice of providing indexation for cost of living increases, into a binding obligation of the Authority.
254.Section 245 makes a number of changes to the pension protection provisions contained in the Railways Act 1993 and the Railway Pensions (Protection and Designation of Schemes) Order 1994 in order to ensure that pension protection continues after creation of the Authority and the dissolution of the British Railways Board. The section also addresses a problem that has been identified in relation to the existing arrangements under the 1993 Act. Schedule 11 to the 1993 Act and the Protection Order made under that Act are amended to provide certainty in relation to the protection of staff pensions in certain cases when there is a change of employer. Subsections (1) and (3) to (5) of this section (and subsections (2) and (8) in so far as they relate to those subsections) are given effect from the date of the Report Stage of the Act in the House of Commons (10th May 2000) (section 275(5)). This is done in order to ensure that no one can seek to exploit any ambiguity in the 1993 Act arrangements between the date on which the clarificatory amendments contained in those subsections became public knowledge and the date on which any Act resulting from the Act comes into force. Subsection (7) removes the requirement for certain disputes relating to railways pensions to be referred to arbitration. The effect will be that disputes may be referred to the Pensions Ombudsman, or (where appropriate) the Court, in accordance with newer procedures.