Company Law Reform Bill

I support my noble friend’s amendment. I declare an interest as a pension fund trustee. The increasing legislation, the complexity of it, the powers that are given to the pension regulator, and the civil partnerships regulations can leave pension fund trustees in an unenviable position. I currently have a case in the pension fund of which I am a trustee where rightly or wrongly—I very much hope that it is wrongly—we are the piggy in the middle in a particularly difficult divorce case. The disposal of the pension fund proceeds is being disputed by the former husband and wife. While the amount that is due to them is not in dispute, the distribution of it is. We have been conjoined in an action; whether it will be struck out I know not. It is extremely unhelpful; one does not expect to be involved in matrimonial divorce cases when one becomes a pension fund trustee, but that sort of thing is getting more and more common. Pension fund trustees are entitled to some form of protection where they act in good faith and properly, as my noble friend’s amendment says. I hope that Government will consider that.