Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED –

1.  That Councillor David Simmonds be appointed Chairman and Councillor Alan Chapman be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Board for the 2017/2018 municipal year.

There were no conflicts of interests reported.

Agreed as accurate records.

To confirm the items of business marked Part I will be considered in public and that items marked Part II will be considered in private.

That Agenda Item 10 be considered in private for the reasons stated on the agenda.

The Board was informed the Communication Strategy had been approved by the Pensions Committee at its meeting held on 14 June 2017.

The Board was informed that in relation to the implementation of a self service module on the Hillingdon Pension Fund website, this had now been put back till September 2017.

In relation to Annual Benefit Statements, these would be distributed by 31 August 2017 and from 2018 these would be made available online.   

RESOLVED –

1.   That the Pension Fund Communication Strategy be noted.

The Board was provided with a draft of the revised Governance Policy for the Pension Fund.

The Board was informed that Regulation 55 of the Local Government Pension Scheme  Regulations 2013 required Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Administering Authorities to publish Governance Compliance Statements setting out information relating to how the Administering Authority delegated its functions under those regulations and whether it complied with guidance given by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

This Statement was also required to be kept under to review and revisions made to it, as appropriate and where such revisions were made, to publish a revised statement.

The Board was informed that the revised policy was still a work in progress, with some sections requiring additional work. The completed document, including the Compliance Statement, would be completed and submitted to the Pensions Committee for approval.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the draft Governance Policy was reviewed and noted, before its submission to the Pensions Committee for approval.

The Chief Accountant updated the Board on progress made in both Employer and Employee representatives of the Board completing the required Training Needs Analysis.  

RESOLVED –

1.   That the update provided be noted.

Discussion took place on the remit and operation and frequency of future Board meetings for the forthcoming municipal year,  

Officers reported that different options would be looked at and comparisons would be made with how other local authority Pension Boards operated.

It was agreed that for the October meeting of the Board that a further discussion takes place on the frequency of meetings after further investigation by officers.

In addition at the next meeting of the Board, an item would be placed on the agenda on compliance with the Pensions Regulators Code of Practice to enable decisions to be taken on potential items to be included in the Board's work programme.

The Board was also provided with the Annual Report on the work undertaken by the Local Pension Board since its inception.

RESOLVED –

1.   That further discussion take place on the frequency of meetings of the Board at the next meeting.

2.   That the suggestions made in relation to future items to be included in the Board's work programme, be noted and taken forward.

3.   That approval be given to the Pension Board Annual Report and it be submitted to the Pensions Committee.

Members of the Board are asked to bring their copy of the Pensions Committee agenda of 14 June 2017 to the meeting.

This item was discussed as a Part II item without the press or public present as the information under discussion contained confidential or exempt information as defined by law in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.  This was because it discussed ‘information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)’ (paragraph 3 of the schedule to the Act).

The Board was provided with the agenda for the last Pensions Committee which took place on 14 June 2017.

The Board was provided with further detail in relation to Pension Fund Administration.

The reports were noted.