text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Finance Bill - Pensions - Repeal of High Income Excess Relief Charge
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  The majority of MPs voted against a proposal which would have prevented ministers using secondary legislation (which uses executive power granted by an initial Act) to repeal the high income excess relief charge without first publishing a report detailing any proposed replacement and assessing its impact. 
  
  The high income excess relief charge is a reduction in tax relief -essentially an additional tax- on pension savings for those with a gross income of more than Â£150,000 in a year. It is provided for in [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/13/section/23 Section 23 of the Finance Act 2010] which refers to the detailed rates and thresholds etc. within [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/13/schedule/2 Schedule 2 of the act]. 
  
  The amendment being voted upon was proposed by opposition MP Angela Eagle, it read:
  
  : page 3, line 9, at end add-
  
  :(4) An order under this section may only be made once the Treasury has published a report, including-
  
  :(a) the outline for the proposed replacement arrangement for the provisions contained in Schedule 2 to the Finance Act 2010;
  
  :(b) a distributional analysis showing the likely impact of the proposed replacement arrangement; and
  
  :(c) the revenue implications of the proposed replacement arrangement.'.
  
  
  The additional section was to be added at the end of [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmbills/003/11003.1-5.html Clause 5 of the Finance Bill 2010]. The clause was the provision giving ministers the power to repeal the high income excess relief charge via secondary legislation. 
  
  
  This vote was immediately followed by [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2010-07-15&number=27 a vote on if clause 5 should remain in the bill at all] 
  
  * [1] Consult [http://www.bluefingroup.co.uk/docs/High%20Income%20Excess%20Relief%20Charge%20(280510).pdf this summary] of the High Income Excess Relief Charge by tax specialists BlueFin Group. 
  
  * [2] On the 9th of December 2010 the power to repeal the High Income Excess Relief Charge, as set out in Section 23 of the 2010 Finance Bill, was [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2938/article/2/made used by the Government.]
  
  * [3] The Government has set out its proposed policy for the future of pension taxes in its [http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/financebill2011_draft_leg_overview.PDF #page=41 draft 2011 Finance Bill.]
  
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  