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Statutory Instruments of the Scottish Parliament


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SCOTTISH STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2005 No. 544

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

The National Health Service (Superannuation Scheme, Injury Benefits, Additional Voluntary Contributions and Compensation for Premature Retirement) (Civil Partnership) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005

  Made 31st October 2005 
  Laid before the Scottish Parliament 4th November 2005 
  Coming into force 5th December 2005 

The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 10, 12 and 24 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Superannuation Act 1972[1], and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, after consulting such representatives of persons likely to be affected by these Regulations as appear to the Scottish Ministers to be appropriate in accordance with section 10(4) of that Act, and with the consent of the Treasury[2], hereby make the following Regulations:



PART I

GENERAL

Citation, commencement, interpretation and extent
     1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Superannuation Scheme, Injury Benefits, Additional Voluntary Contributions and Compensation for Premature Retirement) (Civil Partnership) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005 and shall come into force on 5th December 2005.

    (2) In these Regulations–

    (3) These Regulations extend to Scotland only.

Amendment of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations
     2. The Superannuation Scheme Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 6 to 37 below.

Amendment of the Injury Benefits Regulations
    
3. The Injury Benefits Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 38 to 43 below.

Amendment of the Additional Voluntary Contributions Regulations
    
4. The Additional Voluntary Contributions Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 44 to 47 below.

Amendment of the Compensation for Premature Retirement Regulations
    
5. The Compensation for Premature Retirement Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 48 to 50 below.



PART II

AMENDMENT OF THE SUPERANNUATION SCHEME REGULATIONS

Interpretation
    
6. In regulation A2(4)[7]–


Contributions and other payments by employing authorities
     7. In regulation D2(3)(c)[8] for "widow, widower or dependants" substitute "widow, widower, surviving civil partner or dependants".

Early leavers' entitlement to refund of contributions
     8. In regulation E9(2) after "spouse" insert "or civil partner".

Payment of lump sum
    
9. In regulation F5(3)[9] for "widow or widower" in each place where it occurs, substitute "widow, widower or surviving civil partner".

Part G
     10. In the heading to Part G for "WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS" substitute "WIDOWS, WIDOWERS AND SURVIVING CIVIL PARTNERS".

Widow's pension
    
11. In regulation G1 (Widow's pension)–

Civil partner's pension
    
12. After regulation G9 insert–

Dependent child
    
13. In regulation H1(1)–

Child allowance when member dies in pensionable employment
    
14. In regulation H3 (child allowance when member dies in pensionable employment)–

Child allowance when member dies after pension becomes payable
    
15. In regulation H4 (child allowance when member dies after pension becomes payable)–

Child allowance when member dies with preserved pension
    
16. In regulation H5 (child allowance when member dies with preserved pension)–

Increase of child allowance when child not dependent on surviving parent or spouse or civil partner of parent
    
17. In regulation H7 (Increase of child allowance when child not dependent on surviving parent or spouse of parent)–

Allocation of pension by member for benefit of dependent
    
18. In regulation J1 (allocation of pension by member for benefit of dependent)–

Limits on allocation
    
19. In regulation J2 (limits on allocation)–

Date on which allocation has effect
    
20. In regulation J3(2)(b) for "or spouse" substitute ", spouse or civil partner".

Guaranteed minimum pensions
    
21. In regulation K2 (guaranteed minimum pensions)–

Protected rights transferred to the scheme
     22. In regulation K6 (protected rights transferred to the scheme) after "spouse" in both places where it occurs, insert "or civil partner".

State scheme premiums
    
23. In regulation K7(2) for "widow or widower" in both places where it occurs, substitute "widow, widower or surviving civil partner".

Right to buy additional service
    
24. After regulation Q1(5) insert–

Right to buy an unreduced retirement lump sum
    
25. In regulation Q2(1) after "married" insert "or in a civil partnership".

Paying for unreduced retirement lump sum by single payment
    
26. After regulation Q4(2) insert–

Mental health officers
    
27. In regulation R3(8)(b)–

Pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage or dissolution or nullity of a civil partnership
    
28. In the heading to regulation R14 (pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage)[11], after "marriage" insert "or dissolution or nullity of a civil partnership".

Benefits on death in pensionable employment after pension becomes payable
     29. In regulation S4 (benefits on death in pensionable employment after pension becomes payable)–

Loss of rights to benefits
    
30. In regulation T6(1A)(a)[12] for "widow or widower" substitute "widow, widower or surviving civil partner".

Part W
     31. In the heading to Part W[13], for "PENSION SHARING ON DIVORCE OR NULLITY OF MARRIAGE" substitute "PENSION SHARING ON DIVORCE OR NULLITY OF MARRIAGE OR ON DISSOLUTION OR NULLITY OF A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP".

Discharge of pension credit liability
     32. In regulation W7 (discharge of pension credit liability) after "ex-spouse" in both places where it occurs, insert "or the ex-civil partner".

"Implementation period" for discharge of pension credit
    
33. In regulation W9 ("Implementation period" for discharge of pension credit)–

Failure to discharge liability in respect of pension credit within the implementation period – Death of ex-spouse or ex-civil partner within period
    
34. —(1) In the heading to regulation W10 (failure to discharge liability in respect of pension credit within the implementation period – death of ex-spouse within period) after "ex-spouse" insert "or ex-civil partner."

    (2) In regulation W10(5) after "ex-spouse" insert "or ex-civil partner".

Charges in respect of pension sharing costs
    
35. In regulation W18(4) after "spouse" in both places where it occurs, insert "or civil partner".

Medical and dental practitioners
    
36. In Schedule 1(medical and dental practitioners)–

Pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage or the dissolution or nullity of a civil partnership
    
37. In Schedule 1A (pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage)[14]–



PART III

AMENDMENT OF THE INJURY BENEFITS REGULATIONS

Widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's allowance
     38. In regulation 7 (widow's or widower's allowance)–

Child's allowance
    
39. In regulation 8 (child's allowance)–

Dependent relative's allowance
    
40. In regulation 9 (dependent relative's allowance)–

Lump sum payment on death
    
41. In regulation 11(1)–

Incidental provisions
    
42. In regulation 12(3) for "the widow's or the widower's pension" substitute "the widow's, the widower's or the surviving civil partner's pension".

Determination of questions
    
43. In regulation 22 (determination of questions) for "widow or widower" substitute "widow, widower or surviving civil partner".



PART IV

AMENDMENT OF THE ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS REGULATIONS

Interpretation
    
44. In regulation 2(1)[15], in the definition of "dependant" after "decree of separation)" insert ", a surviving civil partner".

Payments by the Scottish Ministers
     45. In regulation 15 (payments by Secretary of State)[16], after "spouse" in each place where it occurs, insert "or civil partner".

Pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage or dissolution or nullity of civil partnership
     46. In the heading to regulation 17A (pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage) after "marriage", insert "or dissolution or nullity of civil partnership".

Schedule 2
    
47. In Schedule 2 (pension sharing on divorce or nullity of marriage)[17]–



PART V

AMENDMENT OF THE COMPENSATION FOR PREMATURE RETIREMENT REGULATIONS

Partial surrender of annual allowance
     48. In regulation 7 (partial surrender of annual allowance) after "spouse" insert "or civil partner".

Compensation payable to widow, widower, surviving civil partner or dependants
    
49. In regulation 8 (compensation payable to widow, widower or dependants)–

Compensation where lump sum on death becomes payable
    
50. In regulation 9(1), after "widower" in both places where it occurs, insert ", surviving civil partner".



PART VI

OPT OUT

Right to opt out
    
51. —(1) Where–

then the Superannuation Scheme Regulations, or as the case may be, the Injury Benefits Regulations shall have effect in relation to him or her as if those amendments had never been made.

    (2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a relevant beneficiary is a person to whom any benefit is or may become payable being a benefit payable to or in respect of a person who–

before the date on which these Regulations come into force.


GEORGE LYON
Authorised to sign by the Scottish Ministers

St Andrew's House, Edinburgh
26th October 2005



We consent


VERNON COAKER

DAVE WATTS
Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury

31st October 2005



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations, which come into force on 5th December 2005, make further amendments to the National Health Service Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1995 ("the Superannuation Scheme Regulations"), the National Health Service (Scotland) (Injury Benefits) Regulations 1998 ("the Injury Benefits Regulations"), the National Health Service Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) (Additional Voluntary Contributions) Regulations 1998 ("the Additional Voluntary Contributions Regulations") and the National Health Service (Compensation for Premature Retirement) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 ("the Compensation for Premature Retirement Regulations") (together "the principal Regulations").

The amendments in these Regulations make provision following the introduction of the new status of civil partner by the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c.33). The changes of substance to the principal Regulations made by these Regulations are described below.

Regulations 2 and 6 to 37 in Part II of these Regulations amend the Superannuation Scheme Regulations as follows:

Regulation 7 amends regulation D2(3)(c) to provide that employers will meet the cost of a surviving civil partner pension where a member's pension has become payable under regulation E3 (early retirement pension (redundancy etc.)) or E4 (early retirement pension (employer's consent)).

Regulation 8 amends regulation E9(2) to require a pension to be paid in certain circumstances to a surviving civil partner of a member who had a guaranteed minimum pension (within the meaning of the Pensions Schemes Act 1993 (c.48)).

Regulation 9 amends regulation F5(3) to require that a lump sum payable on death may be paid to the member's surviving civil partner except where a member has given notice to the Scottish Ministers that the surviving civil partner is not to receive payment.

Regulation 11 inserts new paragraphs (2A), (2B) and (2C) into regulation G1 and amends regulations G1(4) and G1(5) to provide that widows widowed after 5th December 2005 are subject to regulations applying to cohabitation as civil partners or the formation of a new civil partnership.

Regulation 12 inserts new regulations G10 to G13. Regulation G10 provides for a pension to be payable to surviving civil partners of deceased scheme members. Regulation G11 allows scheme members to nominate the other party to their civil partnership to receive a dependant surviving civil partner's pension on the member's death. Regulation G12 allows any officer or a practitioner to purchase an increase in their surviving civil partner's pension for service prior to 6th April 1988, providing they elect to do so before 28th February 2007. Regulation G13 makes further provisions applying to purchases of increase surviving civil partner's pension for service prior to 6th April 1988.

Regulations 13 to 17 amend Part H of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations to provide for a dependant child allowance to be paid to children of those members who have formed civil partnerships. The circumstances in which such allowances are paid are the same as for dependant children from a marriage.

Regulations 18 to 20 amend Part J of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations to allow a member to elect to allocate part of their pension to a civil partner and to provide a pension for a dependant surviving civil partner.

Regulations 21 to 23 amend Part K of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations to clarify that the overriding contracting out requirements and rights in respect of guaranteed minimum pensions will also apply to civil partners.

Regulations 24 to 26 amend Part Q of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations to include members who have formed a civil partnership in those who have the right to buy additional service and an unreduced lump sum and who can elect to do so by a single payment.

Regulation 27 amends regulation R3(8) to provide that provisions for surviving civil partners of metal health officers are the same as for widows and widowers of mental health officers. The doubled service provision for mental health officers in regulation R3(5) is not applied in calculating a surviving civil partner's pension.

Regulation 29 amends regulation S4 so that provision is made for surviving civil partners of members to receive benefits on death where the member is in pensionable employment after their pension becomes payable.

Regulation 30 amends regulation T6 so that the existing forfeiture provisions also apply to surviving civil partners.

Regulation 6, regulations 32 to 35 and regulation 37 respectively amend the interpretation provisions, Part W and Schedule 1A of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations, to provide that pension sharing provisions will apply where civil partnerships are dissolved through a formal court process.

Regulation 36 amends Schedule 1 (medical and dental practitioners) to apply where appropriate to those scheme members who have formed a civil partnership. It also inserts a new paragraph 16A, which provides for the reduction of the retirement lump sum where the member who is in a civil partnership opts to purchase additional cover for a survivor.

Regulations 3 and 38 to 43 in Part III of these Regulations amend the Injury Benefits Regulations as follows:

Regulation 38 amends regulation 7 to provide the basis on which the payment of an annual allowance will be made to surviving civil partners.

Regulation 39 amends regulation 8 to provide that the provisions on dependent child's allowance also include the dependent children of a civil partnership.

Regulation 40 amends regulation 9 to provide the basis on which a payment of an allowance to a dependent relative of a civil partner will be made.

Regulation 41 amends regulation 11 to include provision for surviving civil partners of a person who qualifies under regulation 6 of receive a lump sum payment on the death of that person.

Regulations 4 and 44 to 47 in Part IV of these Regulations amend the Additional Voluntary Contributions Regulations as follows:

Regulation 44 amends regulation 2(1) to include a surviving civil partner in the definition of "dependant".

Regulation 45 amends regulation 15 to provide that lump sum payments made under regulations 11(4), 11(7) and 12 of the Additional Voluntary Contributions Regulations can also be paid to surviving civil partners.

Regulations 46 and 47 amend regulation 17A and Schedule 2 respectively to provide that pension sharing arrangements will apply to civil partnerships which are dissolved through a formal court process and to provide that payments of a lump sum on death to a surviving civil partner under regulation 11(2) will occur if the relevant criteria apply.

Regulations 5 and 48 to 50 in Part V of these Regulations amend the Compensation for Premature Retirement Regulations as follows:

Regulation 48 amends regulation 7 to include civil partners in pension allocation arrangements, so that the officer may surrender part of their annual compensation allowance to provide a pension for a surviving civil partner.

Regulations 49 and 50 amend regulations 8 and 9 respectively to allow compensation payments to be made to surviving civil partners.

Regulation 51 makes transitional provision for opting out where rights relating to former employees or officers or their dependants are adversely affected.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has not been prepared for this Instrument as it has no impact on business, charities, voluntary bodies or any public bodies distinct from that of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 itself. An assessment of the impact on these bodies together with the cost implications to public sector pension schemes is included in the regulatory impact assessment published with the Civil Partnership Act 2004. The final Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Civil Partnership Act 2004 can be viewed at
http://www.dti.gov.uk/access/ria/index.html#equality.


Notes:

[1] 1972 c.11. Section 10 was amended by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1972 (c.58), Schedule 7, Part II, the Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1990 (c.7) ("the 1990 Act"), sections 4(2) and 8(5), the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (c.48), Schedule 8, paragraph 7 and the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Consequential Amendments and Repeals) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3649), article 108. Section 12 was amended by the 1990 Act, section 10. Section 24 was amended by the Police Pensions Act 1976 (c.35), Schedule 2, paragraph 10. The functions of the Secretary of State were transferred to Scottish Ministers by virtue of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/1750), article 2 and Schedule 1.back

[2] See the Superannuation Act 1972, section 10(1). This function was transferred to the Treasury by virtue of the Transfer of Functions (Minister for the Civil Service and Treasury) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/1670), article 2 and is still exercisable by virtue of S.I. 1999/1750, article 2 and Schedule 1.back

[3] S.I. 1998/1451, amended by S.I. 2001/3649 and S.S.I. 2001/465 and 2004/62.back

[4] S.S.I. 2003/344, amended by 2005/512.back

[5] S.I. 1998/1594, amended by S.I. 1999/444 and S.S.I. 1999/195, 2001/437, 2004/212 and 2005/512.back

[6] S.I. 1995/365, amended by S.I. 1997/1434 and 1916, 1998/1593, 1999/443 and 2001/3649 and S.S.I. 2001/437 and 465, 2003/55, 270 and 517 and 2005/512.back

[7] Regulation A2(4) was relevantly amended by S.S.I. 2001/465, regulation 3 and Schedule 1 which inserted the definition of "ex-spouse".back

[8] The current regulation D2(3)(c) was substituted by S.S.I. 2005/512, regulation 13.back

[9] Regulation F5(3) was amended by S.S.I. 2003/517, regulation 4 and 2005/512, regulation 17.back

[10] 1993 c.48.back

[11] Regulation R14 was inserted by S.S.I. 2001/465, regulation 3 and Schedule 1, paragraph 2.back

[12] Regulation T6(1A)(a) was inserted by S.S.I. 2005/512, regulation 20.back

[13] Part W was inserted by S.S.I. 2001/465 regulation 3 and Schedule 1, paragraph 3.back

[14] Schedule 1A was inserted by S.S.I. 2001/465, regulation 3 and Schedule 1, paragraph 4.back

[15] The current definition of "dependant" in regulation 2(1) was substituted by S.S.I. 2004/62, regulation 3.back

[16] Regulation 15 was amended by S.S.I. 2004/62, regulation 12.back

[17] Schedule 2 was inserted by S.S.I. 2001/465, regulation 4 and Schedule 2, paragraph 6.back



ISBN 0 11 069781 2


 © Crown copyright 2005

Prepared 10 November 2005


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