HUHNE WELCOMES COURT RAP FOR MINISTERS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 21st Feb 2007

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne welcomed the judgement by Mr Justice Bean in the test case brought against the Government on pensions.

Commenting on the judgement, Chris Huhne said:

This is great news for pensioners at APW

"This is great news for pensioners at APW in Chandlers Ford because it is a step to improved compensation for their massive losses. Those under 50 years old have lost more than 80 per cent of their pension entitlement even though the Government encouraged saving in the scheme, and promised to regulate it so that it would pay out safely. Only the over 50s are covered by the Government's Financial Assistance Scheme, which cuts losses to 20 per cent, still a very substantial amount.

"The Government's failure to honour its commitments has now been condemned on four separate occasions after four investigations: by the select committee of the House of Commons, by the parliamentary ombudsman, by the European Court of Justice and now by the High Court in a judicial review. How many times do people have to tell the Government that it is behaving unreasonably and unlawfully before it changes course?

"If ministers do not offer proper compensation given the negligence of government supervision of these pension schemes, we will put forward amendments to the pensions legislation to force them to do so. Such is the anger on all sides of the house - including many Labour MPs - that I believe there is a real chance of defeating the Government".