Politicians must create an independent commission to examine affordability issues over local authority pensions, says Anthony Mayer, chairman of the London Pension Fund Authority.

The chairman of one of Britain's biggest local authority pension funds said pension funds must be made affordable to avoid placing too heavy a burden on state pensions and other benefits.

At the Annual Conference of Local Government Pension Scheme trustees, Mayer said the key to moving ahead is to encourage a well informed, accurate and measured debate which avoiding "misinformation and disinformation".

"The LGPS will always be affordable if Governments are prepared to grasp the nettle of determining and implementing cost effective benefit structures together with retirement ages and employee contributions matched more closely to the effects of longevity.

"What do we need to get things moving forward? Getting a well informed, accurate and measure debate would be a start. Not by flying the flag for any particular solution, that is for the politicians, rather to open a well informed, accurate and measured debate that provides the best possible outcome for scheme members and taxpayers alike," Mayer added.

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