1 Horse Guards Road, 
Information Rights Unit 
London. 
 
SW1A 2HQ 
Tel: 020 7270 4558 
 
Fax: 020 7451 4861 
Paul Perrin   
[HM Treasury request email]  
 
 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 
By email:  
 
[FOI #8185 email]   
Our refs:  
IRU/9/131 
Email/16460/2009 
 
 
 
16th March 2009 
Dear Mr. Perrin, 
 
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST: 
ADVICE FROM THE PENSIONS REGULATOR 
    
Thank you for your enquiry dated 17th February 2009 asking for information under the 
Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000.   
 
You state that “many final salary pension schemes are being closed to new entrants, 
and frozen for existing members – further that The Pensions Regulator is the body 
entrusted to protect pension provision in the UK” and asked: 
 
… how frequently the Treasury communicate with The Pensions Regulator, and 
what advice (if any) you have sought and/or received from The Pensions 
Regulator to support Treasury/government policy in matters that relate to or 
might impact the availability or sustainability of pension provision in the UK? … 
 
First, by way of clarification, although the Pensions Regulator is responsible for 
enforcing the requirement on firms with five or more employees to offer a basic 
Stakeholder Pension, it does not currently have responsibility for encouraging the 
provision of occupational pensions above this minimum level.  Its objectives, as set 
out in the Pensions Act 2004, are: 
 
•  to protect the benefits of members of work-based pension schemes;   
•  to promote good administration of work-based pension schemes; and   
•  to reduce the risk of situations arising that may lead to claims for 
compensation from the Pension Protection Fund.   
 
Treasury officials meet regularly with the Pensions Regulator to discuss a variety of 
issues but, given the scope of the Pensions Regulator’s responsibility, these 
meetings do not specifically cover  the issue of maintaining pension provision.  
Consequently, under the terms of the Act, the information you seek is not held by us.   
 
Overall responsibility for pensions policy lies with the Department for Work and 
Pensions.  Should you wish to contact them, I have provided their email enquiry form 
below.   
 
https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/dwp-contact/?emailTo=peo   
 
 
 

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I hope that you find this response helpful.  If you have any queries about this letter, 
please contact us at the email account given in the header to this letter.  It would help 
us, if you could remember to quote the IRU reference number (also in the header) in 
any future communications.   
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
 
Information Rights Unit  
On behalf of HM Treasury 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 
If you are not happy with this reply, you may request a review by writing to HM Treasury, Information Rights Unit, 
2/S2, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. Email public.enquiries@hm -treasury.gov.uk.   
Any review request must be made within 2 months of the date of this letter.   
It would assist our review if you set out which aspects of the reply concern you and why you are dissatisfied.   
 
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for 
a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure 
provided by the Treasury.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s 
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. 
 
 
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