This consultation started on 1st December 2009 and ends on 23rd February 2010.

1.1 In May 2009, we published a Statement entitled 'A New Pricing Framework for Openreach' , which set out our decision on the future charge controls for certain of BT Openreach's regulated services. In our decision, we included certain pension costs, but excluded payments made by BT to address the funding deficit in its pension scheme.

1.2 We noted that our approach in that decision to exclude such costs is consistent with our historic treatment of pension deficits and surpluses. We proposed, however, to undertake a separate review of our treatment of pension costs as this issue is of increasing importance to the companies we regulate. We considered this was an appropriate step in light of responses to the consultation concerning a new pricing framework for Openreach.

1.3 BT specifically argued that our approach to the costs of funding the deficit appeared at odds with the approach taken by other regulators.

The following documents relating to this consultation are available: Pensions Review Pensions Review How To Respond Responses The effect of defined benefit pension plans on measurement of the cost of capital for UK regulated companies

http://www.tellthemwhatyouthink.org/consultation/con-2703-pensions-review