The Pensions Regulator

Book excerpt: This fifteenth report from Committee of Public Accounts, in the 2007-08 session examines "The Pensions Regulator: progress in establishing its new regulatory arrangements" (HCP 122, ISBN 9780215514684). An earlier report from the NAO is also available, see (HCP 1035, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780102951219). Some 4 million people are still active contributors to work-based pension schemes (final salary schemes), with approximately some 20 million people having at some point contributed to such schemes with the value of the managed funds exceeding £700 billion. The Pensions Regulator (TPR), established in 2005, took over regulatory responsibility for such schemes. The Committee states that the TPR has acted to put the regulation of such schemes on a firmer footing, taking greater account of risk and possesses stronger powers to obtain information and intervene to protect members' benefits. The Committee also states though that the TPR has made a slower start in the regulation of money purchase schemes with room for improvement in the standards of scheme governance and communication with members. Further work is also required to improve the information held by the TPR about schemes and make use of that information to effectively regulate individual schemes.