I am pleased to see the junior ministers appointed by Andy Burnham yesterday. I have included all that are new, those who are reappointed and those who are gone in this blog

It tells good news for the House of Commons, where Torsten Bell and Stephen Timms can be voices for those twin matters (pensions and housing) that impact our retirement. Timms is a  Minister on Housing equality will Bell continues to straddle both the DWP and Treasury. In Footballing terms it is like strengthening the team without losing depth.

The Lords are hugely strong with competing voices on retirement, pensions and investment. We now have Lord David Pitt-Watson having a role in the Treasury. This I find a great step forward, David is a champion for CDC and will be a powerful force for pension sanity in the Treasury. We have for Labour – Bryn Davies, for Liberals Sharon Bowles and for the Cross Benchers, Ros Altmann.

And Jeannie Drake is driving the Pensions Commission on , while sitting in the Lords as a Labour Peer.

Bryn commented yesterday, before we had the junior appointments announced that there was further news from the Lords.

She will be supporting Pat McFadden’s in the upper chamber.

Finally we have Andy Haldane advising the Treasury, a man who could be Governor of the Bank of England one day. For the moment he is speaking a lot on pensions and I hope he and David Pitt-Watson will be finding ways to talk to John Healey and the Chancellor’s team.

Please put in comments any more good news of appointments that can do good  for pensions in parliament. I am conscious that I haven’t covered the Minister looking after local Government and LGPS or those on Treasury and Work and Pension Select Committees.

What is needed?

The list of matters that need attention is long and starts with those in parliament who are civil servants. How badly these people need their pensions sorted out.

The CDC legislation is part enacted, there is more to come but this will not be for a couple of years. Retirement CDC is for the future but we need attention to get Proprietors authorised for next year.

The Pension Schemes Act is huge and much of what it brings in needs secondary legislation. I think of those in DC savings schemes which need guided retirement defaults to simulate a pension. We need work on superfunds, on small pots, VFM and  on all that sits on the new Pension Roadmap.

There is much to do on DB too. We need work on surpluses in DB funds and strengthening of the support of the PPF (without a levy for the moment).

There is the Pensions Commission and the question of adequacy for all those not benefiting from the pension system and for those who save but do not get good value.

There is work to be done for those who get no increases on a part or all of their occupational pension earned before 1997.

Finally decisions need to be taken on the State Pension; – how should it be increased and when should it be paid from.

We are lucky.

A lot is needed to be done and we need  the intelligent and  good spirited pension team we’ve got now. I look forward to the next three years with enthusiasm. Our political leadership is strong.