13 August 2026
Blair McDougall has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, replacing Chris McDonald as the government minister responsible for the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.
The BCSSS Trustees welcome McDougall’s appointment and look forward to continuing discussions with him on their proposals for future surplus sharing.
As a reminder, the Trustees have proposed to the government that the Scheme rules are updated so that:
- clear valuations showing the surplus or deficit in the Scheme are produced going forward
- where the Scheme has a surplus, the Trustees can use 100% of this surplus to enhance members' pensions
- any surplus can be distributed when it arises, rather than waiting for the next three-yearly valuation.
The Trustees have not proposed any changes to the Government Guarantee.
The Trustees would like to thank Chris McDonald for his positive contribution and support in the ongoing surplus share discussions.