Fox-hunting vote could sideline Pensions Bill

The
replacement for Andrew Smith, who has resigned as pensions
minister today, could sideline the Pensions Bill to make time for a vote on a
fox-hunting bill in Parliament, according to The Times.

The
newspaper reported unionists,
politicians and pensions experts have ‘reacted furiously’ to the reports, which
could put the breaks on the £400m Pension Protection Fund (PPF) contained in
the Pensions Bill.

Lord
Oakshott of Seagrove
Bay,
Liberal Democrat pensions
spokesman, said: “What a cock-eyed sense of priorities the Government must have
to think that banning hunting is more important than sorting out the pensions
crisis.”

The
PPF is due to be launched in April 2005.

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Michael Millar