“(1) Section 137FB of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FCA general rules: disclosure of information about the availability of pensions guidance) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (1), insert—

“(1A) The FCA must also make general rules requiring the trustees or managers of a relevant pension scheme to take the steps mentioned in subsections (1B) and (1C) in relation to an application from a member or survivor—

(a) to transfer any rights accrued under the scheme, or

(b) to start receiving benefits provided by the scheme.

(1B) As part of the application process, the trustees or managers must ask the member or survivor whether they have received appropriate pensions guidance or appropriate independent financial advice.

(1C) In a case where the member or survivor indicates that they have not received appropriate pensions guidance or appropriate independent financial advice, the trustees or managers must also—

(a) recommend that the member or survivor seeks such guidance or advice, and

(b) ask the member or survivor whether—

(i) they wish to wait until they have received such guidance or advice before deciding whether to proceed with the application, or

(ii) they wish to proceed with the application without having received it.

(1D) The rules may—

(a) specify what constitutes appropriate pensions guidance and appropriate independent financial advice;

(b) make further provision about how the trustees or managers must comply with the duties in subsections (1B) and (1C) (such as provision about methods of communication and time limits);

(c) specify what the duties of the trustees or managers are in the situation where a member or survivor does not respond to a question mentioned in subsection (1B) or (1C)(b);

(d) provide for exceptions to the duties in subsections (1B) and (1C) in specified cases.”

(3) In subsection (2), for “this section” substitute “subsection (1)”.

(4) After subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) Before the FCA publishes a draft of any rules to be made by virtue of subsection (1A), it must consult—

(a) the Secretary of State, and

(b) the single financial guidance body.”

(5) In subsection (3), for “the rules” substitute “rules to be made by virtue of subsection (1)”.

(6) After subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) In determining what provision to include in rules to be made by virtue of subsection (1A), the FCA must have regard to any regulations that are for the time being in force under section 113B of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (occupational pension schemes: requirements to recommend guidance etc).”

(7) In subsection (4), for the definition of “pensions guidance” substitute—

““pensions guidance” means information or guidance provided by any person in pursuance of the requirements mentioned in section5 of the Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018 (information etc about flexible benefits under pension schemes);”.” —(Guy Opperman.)

This new clause requires the FCA to make rules requiring trustees or managers of personal and stakeholder pension schemes to check whether members have either received guidance or advice or have opted out of receiving it before accessing or transferring their pension assets. It also makes consequential amendments to FSMA 2000. It would be inserted after clause 18.

Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.

New Clause 2