Issue - meetings

This report considers recent developments in the LGPS.

Witnesses:

Neil Mason, LGPS Senior Officer

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The LGPS Senior Officer introduced the report and provided a brief summary. Members noted that Government had launched the consultation on TCFD for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and that a response would be provided and shared with the Chairman of the Committee.

2.    The LGPS Senior Officer stated that training courses on Fundamentals, and a government seminar run by the Scheme Advisory Board, were recommended for members of the Committee and also members of the Local Pension Board. Members were asked to contract the pension team for more information. 

3.    The Chairman stated he had requested officers include a summary of key points for attention within future reports.

Actions/ further information to be provided:

None.

Resolved:

The Pension Fund Committee noted the report.

Chairmans comments on agenda order

The Chairman informed the Committee that, following comments made by Members, Items 15, 16, 17 and 20 would be considered in public.

Cllr Potter raised concerns with the reasoning behind initially deciding to consider items 15, 16, 17 and 20 in private and requested clarification on the category selected to describe the reason for considering the information exempt. The Member went on to stress the democratic importance for marking information exempt only when necessary. The Chairman confirmed that the information had been marked exempt under Paragraph 3, which was for information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). The Member further stated that Part 2, Paragraph 8 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 gave exemptions to Paragraph 3 (exempt information category) and that the council was possibility acting unlawfully by considering the item’s cover reports as exempt information. The LGPS Senior Officer stated that he would speak with Legal and Democratic Services to discuss reasons for report publishing exemptions going forward.

Cllr Williams felt it was unfortunate that the public had not been able to access the previously exempt reports prior to the meeting, and requested that future exempt reports were provided with clear justification for their exemption. The Chairman stated that going forward justifications would be provided, and that the unrestricted reports from the meeting would be published within a supplementary agenda.

This report considers recent developments in the LGPS.