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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED to exclude the public for the following items of business on the grounds that there would be disclosure to them of exempt information under category 3 of The Local Authorities (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007). Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Members queried whether more discussion relating to responsible investment and other strategic matters could, where appropriate, be held in public session in future. Officers agreed that there was merit in considering whether a balance could be achieved between commercial confidentiality and transparency, whilst recognising the need to protect sensitive investment information.
No apologies for absence were received. Councillor David Thomas advised the Committee that he would be required to leave the meeting before 12 noon due to a prior engagement.
Members declared interests as members of the Local Government Pension Scheme. These were personal interests and not prejudicial interests in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct. Declarations were made by Councillors Peter Lewis, Corinna Kenyon-Wade, Adam Kennerley, Arwel Jones and David Thomas.
The minutes of March 2026 were approved as a correct record. The Committee also considered a proposed addendum to the minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2026. Members were advised that the minutes had already been approved and could not be amended; however, an addendum could be recorded within the current minutes. The following addendum was proposed and resolved as below: “a review of the IMCo Board structure and membership of the Shareholder Forum should be undertaken by the sitting Committee as part of the governance review planned for 2027.”
The Chair reported that he and the Pension Fund Manager had attended the LAPF Strategic Forum in Watford earlier in the week. He noted that the event had provided a valuable opportunity to consider developments across the LGPS, particularly in relation to pooling and governance reforms. The Chair advised that a number of matters discussed at the forum would be covered throughout the agenda and thanked members for their continued engagement during a period of significant change for the Scheme.
The Committee received an update on the Pension Board meeting held on 20 May 2026 from Chris Hurst, Pension Fund Manager, on behalf of the Pension Board Chair. Members were advised that discussion had primarily focused on recent regulatory changes affecting governance, administration and pooling arrangements. Particular attention had been given to governance readiness requirements arising from the Fit for the Future reforms, including the requirement to appoint a Senior LGPS Officer and an Independent Member. The Board had also considered the operational impact of recent legislative changes on the administration team, progress relating to the McCloud remedy and risks associated with the transition to IMCo. Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Concern was expressed regarding the apparent delay in establishing IMCo and whether a hiatus had arisen between the anticipated commencement date and implementation. Officers advised that Government regulations had originally been expected to take effect on 1 April 2026 but were not enacted until 30 June 2026. The delay was therefore outside the control of IMCo and the participating funds. The implementation process could now move forward. Clarification was sought regarding the new statutory requirement to appoint a Senior LGPS Officer. Section 151 Officer Jane Thomas advised that, because the post would be employed by the Authority, the appointment may need to proceed through the Council's governance arrangements and could require Council approval. The Committee would remain involved throughout the process. Members were advised that the requirement formed part of the Fit for the Future reforms and that further details regarding appointment arrangements would be brought back to Committee once guidance became available.
The Committee received an update from Chris Hurst, Pension Fund Manager. Charlotte Williams, Governance and Communications Officer, and Liz Dudley, Employer and Training Officer, were introduced to Members. Members received updates on Fit for the Future reforms, Access and Fairness changes, Pension Dashboards, data protection and cyber security matters, McCloud implementation and proposed updates to the Fund's Risk Register. Officers also advised that an online Training Needs Analysis would be circulated following the meeting. Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Were any lessons learned from the recent data breach affecting the Council's education service and were there implications for the Pension Fund. Officers advised that all breaches across the Authority were reviewed to identify learning opportunities. The Fund continued to operate within the Council's cyber security framework and obtained regular assurance from third-party providers. A dedicated Cyber Security Policy was also being finalised. Clarification was sought regarding what activities constituted "training" for the purposes of members achieving their annual training requirements. Officers confirmed that webinars, workshops, conferences and similar learning activities could be counted as training. Consideration was also being given to incorporating training sessions into future Committee meetings. Members queried how training requirements would be managed where an individual member had not achieved sufficient training hours during the year. Officers advised that individual training plans could be developed where necessary and that attendance at industry conferences and events would contribute towards annual requirements. Concern was raised regarding the presentation of the Risk Register, particularly where risks remained "amber" despite controls being listed as in place, and the apparent absence of future review dates. Officers accepted the observation and agreed to review the presentation of the Risk Register to provide greater clarity around mitigation measures and future review arrangements. Decision: • The Committee noted the contents of the report. • The Committee approved the proposed Risk Register updates. • Members agreed to complete the Training Needs Analysis questionnaire once circulated.
The Committee considered the revised LGPS Administering Authority Discretions Policy. Members were advised that the document had been comprehensively reviewed following legislative changes. Updates included revised wording, improved structure and formatting, consolidation of Councillor discretions into the main document and the inclusion of a number of additional non-mandatory policies. Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Members commented on references to children and dependants within the policy and noted the importance of recognising the impact of pension decisions on families. Officers agreed and noted that the provisions highlighted the Fund's responsibility to members and their families and reflected statutory survivor benefit requirements. Members questioned who would be expected to read or rely upon the policy. Officers explained that the document could be used by members, beneficiaries and employers seeking to understand how discretionary decisions would be applied, including situations involving employers that no longer existed. Members observed that, without a summary of changes, it was difficult to identify what amendments had been made since the last version. Officers advised that tracked changes had not been included because of the extent of amendments but agreed to circulate additional information showing the changes for Members' assurance. Decision: The Committee approved the adoption of the LGPS Administering Authority Discretions Policy as set out in the appendix.
The Committee considered the revised Overpayment Policy. Members were advised that only minor amendments had been made since the previous review. The principal change was the addition of a new section signposting Scheme members to information published by the Pensions Ombudsman regarding pension overpayments. Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Members noted that they were primarily interested in understanding substantive policy changes rather than receiving extensive tracked-change versions of documents. Officers acknowledged the point and it was confirmed that the update provided in the covering report Paragraph 2.2 was what the Committee wanted to see .
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to exclude the public for the following items of business on the grounds that there would be disclosure to them of exempt information under category 3 of The Local Authorities (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007). Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Members queried whether more discussion relating to responsible investment and other strategic matters could, where appropriate, be held in public session in future. Officers agreed that there was merit in considering whether a balance could be achieved between commercial confidentiality and transparency, whilst recognising the need to protect sensitive investment information.
RESOLVED to exclude the public for the following items of business on the grounds that there would be disclosure to them of exempt information under category 3 of The Local Authorities (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007). Issues Raised by the Committee Responses Received Members queried whether more discussion relating to responsible investment and other strategic matters could, where appropriate, be held in public session in future. Officers agreed that there was merit in considering whether a balance could be achieved between commercial confidentiality and transparency, whilst recognising the need to protect sensitive investment information.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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