We Need Parity Among Mineworker Pension Schemes

I have called on the UK Government to fully right a historical wrong by restoring funds taken from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS), one of two pension schemes for former mineworkers.

My call came after constituents contacted me in the wake of the UK Government’s decision to return £1.5 billion of money kept from pensions to over 100,000 former mineworkers involved in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) in October 2024.

I welcomed this decision, but I have urged the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband MP, in a letter to ensure there is parity between all former mineworkers and return a reported £3.2 billion taken from the BCSSS by the UK Government.

I have also submitted a motion on the subject in the Scottish Parliament, calling on the UK Government to “act urgently” to “ensure that this historical wrong is fully righted”.

I absolutely welcome the decision of the UK Government to return £1.5 billion of money kept from former mineworkers enrolled in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and believe this is a good first step in ensuring justice for mineworkers who have fought so long for this outcome.

However, it is clear to me that there are many former mineworkers who have not received justice as they were enrolled in the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme, and the UK Government has not acted to restore funds taken from this scheme.

Constituents have been in contact with me who are delighted for their colleagues enrolled in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme but cannot understand why a similar decision has not been made for their pension scheme.

The UK Government must fully right this historical wrong and I have written to the Secretary of State Ed Miliband MP to urge him to act and return money kept from BCSSS pensions.