Agenda

Please note this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method.  Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.  By entering the ‘meeting room’, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual, or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

To receive any apologies for absence.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business.  (Late items of Urgent Business will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items of Urgent Business will be dealt with under item 14 below).

A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and

(ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct

The Public Service Pensions Act 2013 defines a conflict of interest as a financial or other interest which is likely to prejudice a person’s exercise of functions. Therefore, a conflict of interest may arise when an individual:

i)             Has a responsibility or duty in relation to the management of, or provision of advice to, the LBHPF, and

ii)            At the same time, has:

-       a separate personal interest (financial or otherwise) or

-       another responsibility in relation to that matter,

giving rise to a possible conflict with their first responsibility. An interest could also arise due to a family member or close colleague having a specific responsibility or interest in a matter.

At the commencement of the meeting, the Chair will ask all Members of the Committee and Board to declare any new potential conflicts and these will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting and the Fund’s Register of Conflicts of Interest. Any individual who considers that they or another individual has a potential or actual conflict of interest which relates to an item of business at a meeting must advise the Chair prior to the meeting, where possible, or state this clearly at the meeting at the earliest possible opportunity.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

Note from the Head of Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer)

When considering the items below, the Committee will be operating in its capacity as ‘Administering Authority’. When the Committee is operating in its capacity as an Administering Authority, Members must have due regard to their duty as quasi-trustees to act in the best interest of the Pension Fund above all other considerations.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the Pensions Committee and Board meeting held on 30^th January 2024 as a correct record.

This report provides the Pensions Committee and Board (PCB) with a draft version of the Pension Fund’s revised Administration Strategy. This report aims to ensure that the Pension Fund has an effective strategy in place to ensure that both the Administering Authority and scheme employers participating in the Fund understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities in the Fund’s administration.

This paper has been prepared to update the Pensions Committee and Board on the Pension Fund’s risk register and provide an opportunity for the Pensions Committee and Board to further review the risk score allocation.

This report provides the Pensions Committee and Board (PCB) with an update on the Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) new General code of practice which waspublished on 10 January 2024. The Fund's Independent Advisor has prepared a paper to update the PCB on the main outcomes.

This paper provides an update on the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum’s (LAPFF) engagement and voting activities on behalf of the Fund. The Fund is a member of LAPFF, and the Pensions Committee and Board (PCB) has previously agreed that the Fund’s investment managers should cast its votes at investor meetings in line with the LAPFF voting recommendations.

This report provides the Pensions Committee and Board (PCB) with the following updates on the Pension Fund’s performance for the quarter ended 31 December 2023:

a.       Independent advisor’s market commentary

b.       Investment performance

c.       Investment asset allocation

d.       London Collective Investment Vehicle (LCIV) update

e.       Funding position update

This paper has been prepared to identify and agree upon the key priorities for the Pensions Committee and Board (PCB) over the upcoming months, as well as seek the PCB’s input into future agendas.

To note the dates of future meetings:

12 December 2022

23 January 2023

21 March 2023

Items 17-19 are likely to be subject to a motion to exclude the press and public from the meeting as they contain exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1985); para 3 – namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and para 5 – information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

As per item 12.

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the Pensions Committee and Board meeting on 30^th January 2024 as a correct record.