Entering an era of surplus or plunging further into the red? A panel discussion on pension scheme funding
Monday 26 November 2007

Venue: No.4 Hamilton Place, London

Download a pdf of the flyer for them panel discussion

Confirmed Panel Members:
Chair: David Willetts MP
Partha Dasgupta, Chief Executive, Pension Protection Fund.
Alan Davies, VP Pensions Investment Policy and Advice, Treasury and Corporate Finance, Shell International Limited.
Stuart Southall, Principal, Punter Southall.
Fraser Low, DB & Research Actuary, The Pensions Regulator.

Punter Southall are delighted to be holding our second annual panel discussion on 26 November 2007. Last year we held a panel discussion on the subject of ‘The Nature of the Pensions Promise’ with panellists including Michelle Lewis of the TUC, Mick McAteer, formerly of the Consumers’ Association, and Derek Sloan, Chairman of the Association of Pension Lawyers.
This year, we are making our topic the future direction of pension scheme funding. We would expect the discussion to address some of the following issues:

• Is the era of surplus about to return or will longevity improvements pull schemes back into the red?
• Are concerns about surplus preventing employers contributing to their pension schemes?
• Who owns pensions surplus? Should employers be able to draw surplus funds out of pension schemes? If so, in what circumstances?
• Will changes to accounting standards make employers reluctant to fund above IAS19 levels?
• Can contingent assets provide an alternative to the overfunding of pension schemes?
• Is the Regulator’s approach to scheme funding overcautious?
• What would an era of surplus mean for the PPF? Will we see the levy fall in value as pension schemes present lower risks to the PPF?

The format of the discussion will be similar to that of BBC1’s ‘Question Time’ with David Willetts MP (our Senior Adviser) in the chair and questions coming from members of the audience.

The meeting will be held under Chatham House Rules.

Bookings
To book your place at this panel discussion, please fill in the electronic form below or contact Jenny Gallagher at jenny.gallagher@puntersouthall.com.

Further information
For further information, please contact Jenny Gallagher by phone on 0118 977 2277 or e-mail jenny.gallagher@puntersouthall.com.