The Work and Pensions Committee is investigating the sale of Vauxhall to Peugeot, seeking clarifications on the pension scheme.

In a letter to The Pensions Regulator’s chief executive Lesley Titcomb, Committee chair Frank Field asked her to clarify several points relating to the Vauxhall Motors Limited Pension Plan, which is estimated to have a deficit of £840m.

Prior to the sale, which was completed for £1.9bn on 6 March, there had been rumours that the pension scheme and its deficit was a “deal-breaker”.

Therefore, following the sale, Field has asked whether the regulator has any active ongoing involvement in GM UK pension schemes and if it was informed of the impending sale and its implications for the pension scheme. In addition, he asked what involvement the regulator had in the negotiations surrounding the sale.

Field also asked whether the regulator was satisfied that the terms of the sale are of no material detriment to the pension schemes or, if so, what steps they intend to take to establish whether that is the case.

Furthermore, the chairman of the GM pension trustees also received a letter from the Committee, which asked what involvement the trustees had in the negotiations over the sale. Field asked what assurances regarding the pension schemes the new owners or the government have given the pension trustees.

The trustee chair was also asked about what contact the trustee has had from the regulator and whether he is satisfied that the terms of the sale are of no material detriment to the pension schemes.

The new owners, PSA Group, were wrote to about the sale asking them what ongoing responsibilities they and GM UK have for GM UK’s pension schemes and what assurances they have provided to the trustees of the pension scheme.

They were also asked of their plans on how they are going to fund the DB schemes and the nature of any contact they have had with the regulator, preceding and since the sale.

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