MPs to face Blair over pensions

MPs urging compensation for workers who have lost their pensions in the collapse of their company schemes are meeting the Prime Minister on Monday.

They want Tony Blair to launch an official inquiry into how compensation can be paid.

The Prime Minister has agreed to meet MPs Kevin Brennan, Derek Wyatt and Sandra Osborne to discuss ways to help the 60,000 workers who have suffered.

Hundreds of the Labour MPs' constituents have lost their pensions after employers hit financial problems that triggered the automatic winding-up of company pension funds.

When schemes are wound up, workers often lose most of their pensions because there are insufficient assets left to meet their payments.

Wyatt, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said: 'It is imperative that the Government addresses this issue.

'It is not beyond the wit of man to come up with a solution to this problem.'