The Firefighters' Pension (Wales) Scheme (Contributions) (Amendment) Order 2013

Made: 26 March 2013

Laid before the National Assembly for Wales: 27 March 2013

Coming into force: 1 April 2013

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of powers conferred upon the Secretary of State by section 26(1) of the Fire Services Act 1947[^f00001] and now vested in them[^f00002], make the following Order:

Title and Commencement

1

• (1) The title of this Order is the Firefighters' Pension (Wales) Scheme (Contributions) (Amendment) Order 2013.

• (2) This Order comes into force on 1 April 2013.

Amendment of the Firemen’s Pension Scheme Order 1992

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Schedule 2 to the Firemen’s Pension Scheme Order 1992[^f00003] (in which the Firefighters' Pension (Wales) Scheme is set out), as it has effect in Wales, is amended in accordance with article 3 of this Order.

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For the Table in paragraph 3 of Part A1 of Schedule 8 substitute the following Table—

Signed

Lesley Griffiths — Minister for Local Government and Government Business, one of the Welsh Ministers — 26 March 2013

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Firefighters' Pension (Wales) Scheme (set out in Schedule 2 to the Firemen’s Pension Scheme Order 1992 (S.I. 1992/129)) (“the Scheme”) as it has effect in Wales.

The amendment provides different rates for pension contributions payable by members of the Scheme which increase according to the amount of pensionable pay which the member receives. The contribution rates are specified in the Table in paragraph 3 of Part A1 of Schedule 8 to the Scheme.

In addition, a new band of pensionable pay has been created so that those firefighters who earn more than £15,000 and up to and including £21,000 will pay a lower rate than those earning more than £21,000.

The Welsh Ministers' Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to this Order. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with this Order. A copy can be obtained from the Fire and Armed Forces Branch, Welsh Government, Rhydycar, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 1UZ or by calling 0300 062 8254.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1947 c. 41, repealed by section 52 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (c. 21). Subsections (1) to (5) of section 26 continue to have effect, in relation to Wales, for the purposes of the scheme established under that section as the Firemen’s Pension Scheme and set out in the Firemen’s Pension Scheme Order 1992 (S.I. 1992/129), by article 3 of S.I. 2004/2918 (W.257). By article 4 of that instrument the name of the Scheme was changed to the Firefighters' Pension (Wales) Scheme. Section 26 of the 1947 Act was amended by various Acts but those amendments are not relevant to this Order.

[^f00002]: The Secretary of State’s functions under section 26 of the Fire Services Act 1947 are now vested in the Welsh Ministers so far as they are exercisable in relation to Wales. They were previously vested in the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672), see entry for the Fire Services Act 1947 in Schedule 1 to that Order. By virtue of paragraph 30 of Schedule 11 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32), they were transferred to the Welsh Ministers.

[^f00003]: S.I. 1992/129; amended by 1997/2309 and 2851, and 1998/1010, 2001/3649 and 3691, 2004/1912 and 2918 (W.257), 2006/1672 (W.160), 2007/1074 (W.112), 2009/1226 (W.109), 2010/234 and 2012/974 (W.128).