I’m giving my full support to the campaign for a parliamentary inquiry into the handling of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
Since 1994, the ‘sharing arrangements’ have resulted in £4bn being taken from the Scheme and not used for the benefit of former mineworkers, whilst pension scheme members have been left with an average pension of only £84 a week.
At the end of last month, I was one of fifty MPs that wrote to the BEIS Select Committee calling for a parliamentary inquiry and asking the Conservative UK Government to consider fairer arrangements which would better serve our coalfield communities.
I am pleased that our request is being actively considered, and will continue to pursue this.