Citation, commencement and interpretation

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Pension Protection Fund (Pensionable Service) and Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment and Disclosure) (Amendment and Modification) Regulations 2018 and, except as provided for below, come into force on 1st October 2019.

(2) On 2nd October 2018 the following regulations come into force—

(a) regulation 1(1) and (2);

(b) regulation 2; and

(c) regulation 3.

(3) On 1st October 2020 the following regulations come into force—

(a) regulation 5(2);

(b) regulation 5(4)(b), in so far as it inserts paragraph (2A)(b) in regulation 29A of the Disclosure Regulations; and

(c) regulation 5(5)(c).

(4) In these Regulations, “ the Disclosure Regulations ” means the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013 .

Amendments to the Pension Protection Fund (Compensation) Regulations 2005

2. —(1)The Pension Protection Fund (Compensation) Regulations 2005 are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 1(2) (interpretation) , omit the definition of “pensionable service”.

(3) After Part 12 (variable-rate schemes) insert—

“ Part 13 Schemes which provide fixed pensions in respect of transfer payments

Schemes which provide fixed pensions in respect of transfer payments: modification of Schedule 7 to the Act

30. —(1)Schedule 7 (pension compensation provisions) to the Act has effect with the modifications set out in paragraphs (3) to (5) in relation to a scheme if, immediately before the assessment date, under the admissible rules of the scheme a person is entitled or has rights to a relevant fixed pension.

(2) A pension to which a person is entitled or has rights under a scheme is a “ relevant fixed pension ” for the purposes of this regulation if—

(a) that entitlement or those rights (as the case may be) arose by virtue of a transfer payment to the scheme in respect of the person's rights under another occupational or personal pension scheme;

(b) the initial annual amount of the pension was specified at the time the transfer payment was received (whether or not that amount was subject to revaluation in respect of the period until the pension was to come into payment); and

(c) the pension is neither—

(i) attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit; nor

(ii) payable as a result of a person's death.

(3) Where compensation is payable under paragraph 15 (deferred members who have not attained normal pension age at assessment date) of Schedule 7 to the Act in respect of a relevant fixed pension—

(a) paragraph 15 has effect in its application to that pension as if—

(i) in sub-paragraph (5), for “when the pensionable service relating to the pension ended”, there were substituted, “immediately after the relevant transfer payment was received”; and

(ii) after sub-paragraph (5) there were inserted—

“ (5A) In sub-paragraph (5), “ relevant transfer payment ” means the transfer payment by virtue of which the deferred member's rights to the pension were conferred under the scheme. ” ; and

(b) except in a case to which regulation 15A(4) (modification of Schedule 7 for schemes with no revaluation) applies, paragraph 16 has effect in its application to that pension as if—

(i) in sub-paragraph (2)(a) for “deferred member's pensionable service in respect of the pension ended” there were substituted “ relevant transfer payment was received ” ; and

(ii) after sub-paragraph (2) there were inserted—

“ (2A) In sub-paragraph (2)(a), “ relevant transfer payment ” means the transfer payment by virtue of which the deferred member's rights to the pension were conferred under the scheme. ” .

(4) Sub-paragraph (14) of paragraph 26A (meaning of the compensation cap) of Schedule 7 to the Act does not apply in so far as it relates to the meaning of “pensionable service”.

(5) Except for the purposes of sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) of paragraph 26 (compensation cap) of Schedule 7 to the Act , paragraph 36 (accrual rate, pensionable service and pensionable earnings) has effect as if—

(a) in sub-paragraph (4), for “sub-paragraph (5)”, there were substituted, “sub-paragraphs (5) and (6)”; and

(b) after sub-paragraph (5) there were inserted—

“ (6) For the purposes of this Schedule, where a person is entitled or has rights under a scheme to a pension and—

(a) that entitlement or those rights (as the case may be) arose by virtue of a transfer payment to the scheme in respect of the person's rights under another occupational or personal pension scheme;

(b) the initial annual amount of the pension was specified at the time the transfer payment was received (whether or not that amount was subject to revaluation in respect of the period until the pension was to come into payment); and

(c) the pension is neither—

(i) attributable (directly or indirectly) to a pension credit; nor

(ii) payable as a result of a person's death,

the person is to be treated as having pensionable service within sub-paragraph (4)(b) to which that pension is attributable. ” . ”

Amendment to the Pension Protection Fund (Multi-employer Schemes) (Modification) Regulations 2005

3. In regulation 1(2) (interpretation) of the Pension Protection Fund (Multi-employer Schemes) (Modification) Regulations 2005, for the definition of “pensionable service” substitute—

“ “ pensionable service ” has the meaning given by paragraph 36(4) of Schedule 7 to the Act (accrual rate, pensionable service and pensionable earnings); ” .

Amendments to the Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) Regulations 2005

4. —(1)The Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) Regulations 2005 are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 2 (statement of investment principles)—

(a) in paragraph (3)—

(i) at the end of sub-paragraph (b)(v) omit “and”;

(ii) for sub-paragraph (b)(vi) substitute—

“ (vi) financially material considerations over the appropriate time horizon of the investments, including how those considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention and realisation of investments; and ” ;

(iii) after sub-paragraph (b)(vi) insert—

“ (vii) the extent (if at all) to which non-financial matters are taken into account in the selection, retention and realisation of investments; ... ” ; and

(iv) for sub-paragraph (c) substitute—

“ (c) their policy in relation to—

(i) the exercise of the rights (including voting rights) attaching to the investments; and

(ii) undertaking engagement activities in respect of the investments (including the methods by which, and the circumstances under which, trustees would monitor and engage with relevant persons about relevant matters) and ” ; and

(b) after paragraph (3) insert—

“ (4) For the purposes of this regulation—

“ appropriate time horizon ” means the length of time that the trustees of a trust scheme consider is needed for the funding of future benefits by the investments of the scheme;

“ beneficiaries ” means a person, other than a member of the trust scheme, who is entitled to the payment of benefits under the scheme;

“ financially material considerations ” includes (but is not limited to) environmental, social and governance considerations (including but not limited to climate change), which the trustees of the trust scheme consider financially material;

“ non-financial matters ” means the views of the members and beneficiaries including (but not limited to) their ethical views and their views in relation to social and environmental impact and present and future quality of life of the members and beneficiaries of the trust scheme;

“ relevant matters ” includes (but is not limited to) matters concerning an issuer of debt or equity, including their performance, strategy, capital structure, management of actual or potential conflicts of interest, risks, social and environmental impact and corporate governance; and

“ relevant persons ” includes (but is not limited to) an issuer of debt or equity, an investment manager , another stakeholder or another holder of debt or equity. ” .

(3) In regulation 2A(1)(b) (additional requirements in relation to default arrangement), after “regulation 2(3)(b)” insert “and, if that scheme has 100 or more members, regulation 2(3)(c) and (d)”.

Amendments to the Disclosure Regulations

5. —(1) The Disclosure Regulations are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 12 (annual report)—

(a) in paragraph (1), before “given in accordance”, insert “ (subject to paragraph (5)) ” ; and

(b) after paragraph (4) insert—

“ (5) Where section 35 of the 1995 Act applies to a scheme the following information must be made publicly available free of charge in accordance with regulation 29A—

(a) the information listed in paragraph 30(ca) of Schedule 3 but only if the scheme is not a relevant scheme within the meaning of regulation 1(2) (interpretation) of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Scheme Administration) Regulations 1996; or

(b) the information listed in paragraph 30(f) of that Schedule but only if the scheme is a relevant scheme within the meaning of that regulation. ” .

(3) In the heading to regulation 29A (publishing charges and transaction costs), at the end, insert “ and other relevant information ” .

(4) In regulation 29A—

(a) in paragraph (1), after “paragraph (2)”, insert “ and, where that scheme falls within section 35 of the 1995 Act, paragraph (2A) ” ;

(b) after paragraph (2) insert—

“ (2A) The specified information is—

(a) the latest statement of investment principles governing decisions about investments prepared for the scheme under section 35 of the 1995 Act; and

(b) the information which must be included in the most recent document prepared under regulation 12 in accordance with paragraph 30(f) of Schedule 3. ” ; and

(c) in paragraph (4), after “paragraph (2)”, insert “, (2A) or (2B)”.

(5) In paragraph 30 of Schedule 3 (information to be given on request)—

(a) for sub-paragraph (d) substitute—

“ (d) the policies specified in the following paragraph of regulation 2 of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) Regulations 2005 (statement of investment principles) (“ the Investment Regulations ”)—

(i) paragraph (3)(b)(vi) ,

(ii) paragraph (3)(b)(vii) , ...

(iii) paragraph (3)(c) , ...

(iv) paragraph (3)(d), and ” ;

(b) omit sub-paragraph (e); and

(c) after sub-paragraph (e) insert—

“ (f) where the scheme is a relevant scheme within the meaning of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Scheme Administration) Regulations 1996, a statement which must—

(i) set out how, and the extent to which, in the opinion of the trustees, the statement of investment principles required under section 35 of the 1995 Act has been followed during the year,

(ii) describe any review of the statement of investment principles undertaken during the year in accordance with regulation 2(1) of the Investment Regulations and any other review of how the statement of investment principles has been met,

(iii) explain any change made to the statement of investment principles during the year and the reason for the change, and

(iv) where no such review was undertaken during the year in accordance with regulation 2(1) of the Investment Regulations, give the date of the last review.

(v) describe the voting behaviour by, or on behalf of, trustees (including the most significant votes cast by trustees or on their behalf) during the year and state any use of the services of a proxy voter during that year. ” .

(6) In paragraph 5B of Schedule 6 (statement of benefits: money purchase benefits and cash balance benefits) , for “(publishing charges and transaction costs)”, substitute “ and (2A) (publishing charges and transaction costs and other relevant information)” .