Debate contribution: Pension Schemes Bill: Legislative Consent Motion

Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on 27 January 2026.

MLA

Mr Gordon Lyons

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

27 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Pension Schemes Bill: Legislative Consent Motion

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5345068

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Members who contributed to the debate. I thank the Chairperson of the Committee for Communities for the broad welcome that he and the Committee have given to the moves. I recognise the fact that the Committee did not have proper time to scrutinise the legislative consent memorandum. I assure the Chairperson, the Committee and the whole House that that was not because of some lack of desire on my part to ensure that the Committee got to undertake proper scrutiny. As is often the case with many such Bills that originate in Westminster, there are time pressures involved, and I understand that the Committee has expressed concern about the approach taken by the LCM on other matters, and I will address that concern in due course. I have raised those issues in conversations with Stephen Timms and other Ministers and told them that respect needs to be shown for the devolved processes. I understand that there are times when things move quickly as a result of things needing to be done owing to time pressures at Westminster, but Committees in this place should, without exception, be able to undertake proper scrutiny. I recognise that circumstances sometimes do not allow that to happen, but I make it clear that it is certainly not because of any lack of want on my part to ensure that the Committee can play its role. I hope that Westminster's approach will change in future so that Committees get the time that they need to scrutinise LCMs properly. I believe, however, that the main issues have been rehearsed. Maintaining parity is key for the most important reason, which is to ensure that people in Northern Ireland are treated in a fair and equal way. I note Mrs Dillon's comments. We have talked about the issue a number of times before, and it is an area of agreement. I have worked with UK Government Ministers on it, and I also pay tribute to those who have been lobbying for the change to be made. We often talk about the need to support those who are most vulnerable, and it is certainly the case that people who experience end-of-life issues have not only financial pressures that come to bear on them but accompanying huge emotional distress. We therefore want to make sure that people are helped and that those who have paid into the system get the benefit from having done so in the time that they have left. I therefore thank the Member for continuing to raise the issue and assure her of my commitment to ensuring that we will do what we can here to address it. I commend the motion to the Assembly.

451 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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