ú billion Pension raid

[CliveV]

Some of you may recall me bleating on about this incredible injustice. Namely Civil Servants and the politicians coming up with a special tax that does not affect them but has had a devastating effect on all funded pension schemes.

In the whole sorry saga - this is the latest - taken from one of the "pinks"

"Treasury to appeal Information Commissioner's ruling

Paul Mcmillan - 06-Jul-2006

The Treasury is to appeal against the decision of the Independent Information Commissioner who ruled it had to disclose its reasoning and evidence behind the so-called '£5 billion raid' on pensions.

A Treasury spokesman says the department believes the Information Commissioner was wrong in its ruling and has decided to challenge the decision.

The appeal will now go to the Information Tribunal- independent of both Treasury and the Information Commissioner- who will make a final ruling.

The Information Tribunal will go over the evidence again and could call for a hearing. No timescale has been given as to when a final decision will be reached.

Last month the independent Information Commissioner ruled the Treasury was wrong to refuse a recent request under the Freedom of Information Act for estimates given to ministers on the long-term damage to pension funds caused by the removal of advance corporation tax relief on dividends for pension schemes and gave the Treasury until July 7 to reveal the information or until July 5 to mount an appeal.

The commissioner rejected the Treasury's argument that disclosure of the information is against the public interest and exempt under 35 (1) (a) of the FOI Act because it related to the formulation of Government policy.

The Treasury claimed disclosure would damage officials' and ministers' confidence in the confidentiality of the Budget process and have a "very serious negative impact on decision-making" in the pension debate."

The last two paragraphs tell it all a) they do not want the truth coming out and b) once people in general realise the true implications of what has happened - this Government would never win another election.

The appeal/delay is typical but when the real facts do emerge - the Brown smelly stuff will hit the fan.

 

[sparkes]

Clive

I have done a lot of work for the ICO and note the following

1, they do not like the current government at all!

2, they will not let an issue drop.

we may see something out of this

Steve

 

[CliveV]

Agreed Steve

What dear Gordon Brown now fears is that the "two tier" pension situation he created where he and the civil servants DO NOT suffer this extra tax burden whilst the rest of us with funded schemes will have to work longer to pay for THEIR guaranteed pensions, will come under scrutiny.

When the information that has been refused us is finally released - it should be possible to take a guy doing a similar job to a civil servant and compare the tax treatment of the two pension schemes.

It is reckoned that when this gets referred to the European Courts, the whole lot will come crashing down around Gordon & Tony's heads, because a fundamental rule within the EU is that ministers and Civil Servants of any member state can not inflict taxes that are selective.

How more selective can any tax possibly be when it cannot affect an MP or Civil Servant but hits those that have to save out of their own pocket for their retirement?

Hence the almost desperate rearguard action by individuals that to my mind have lost any integrity they ever had - if indeed they ever had any at all.

 

[CliveV]

On a related matter - if the total lack of integrity by our political "masters" were in any doubt - this from one of the "pinks" again:-

MP says watchdog snub is a constitutional crisis

By Paul McMillan - 06-Jul-2006

Select committee chairman says there is no precedent for rejection of pension maladministration findings

The Government has been accused of triggering a constitutional crisis by rejecting the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report on pension maladministration.

At a meeting of the public administration select committee, the chairman, Labour MP Dr Tony Wright, told Work and Pension Secretary John Hutton the rejection of Parliamentary Ombudsman Ann Abraham's report and the refusal to compensate victims were unprecedented.

Wright said: "Why has the Government decided to trigger a constitutional crisis? There is no precedent for the Government response to the report. It could not be clearer. The Parliamentary Ombudsman's findings are final. It is categorical."

Hutton said the Government had reacted with extreme reluctance and pointed out that it was the first time in 40 years it had rejected a report.

He also accepted that, while there had been times in the past when a report had been rejected, in these situations full redress had been given to those who lost out.

Hutton admitted that the extension of the Financial Assistance Scheme was not a full remedy but stressed that the Government had to make difficult decisions and decided to concentrate resources on those in most financial hardship and closest to retirement.

He also addressed concerns raised about the length of time taken for pension schemes to wind up and allow members access to the FAS, saying a review instigated by Treasury Chief Secretary Stephen Timms would be published this autumn.

Hutton said: "We have not rejected these findings lightly. We did so with extreme regret and reluctance."

Abraham found the Government guilty of the maladministration of occupational pension schemes last March.

She told the committee that the Government has shown a lack of respect for her office in its treatment of the report, which has led to similar patterns of behaviour emerging across other Government departments such as the Revenue and the Home Office.

She said the

a)The Home Office has rejected her findings of maladministration in relation to the number of immigration cases and

b) The Revenue refused to accept her findings relating to its maladministration of tax credits.

Anyone still think this Government is answerable to anyone but themselves?