Gerald Jones MP has backed calls for a fairer pensions deal for former mineworkers and their families.

The MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney has signed and supported a letter, signed by 40 MPs in total, to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, which calls for a formal review of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.

The current arrangement sees the UK Government acting as guarantor for mineworker pension payouts, with surpluses split evenly between the Treasury and scheme members.

The letter, written by Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith, argues that the 50 per cent share is not justified, given the strong returns generated by the scheme and the absence of any payments into it by the UK Government.