DAH opened the meeting at 10.30am with the Safety Moment which focussed on care during wintry, icy conditions. The consequent national epidemic of potholes, prompted a discussion involving most of the meeting attendees.

There were 8 attendees:

Chris Simes (CS)           Steve Wilson (SW)         Alan Higgins (DAH)

Grace Shacklady (GS)    Neil Jones (NJ)      Alan Dennison (AD)     

Steve Ladle (SL) Andrew Nisbet (AGN)

Apologies received from Peter Young (PY) due to travel delays on a continental driving trip.                       

– DAH welcomed members to the meeting. He noted that Rail fares, prescription charges and fuel duty have been frozen, as well as pensioners

– held on 15 July 2025 at Grand Union Studios, Ladbroke Grove, London. Meeting minutes had been issued to committee members and were approved as a true record of the meeting. Proposed AD, seconded SL.

NJ summarised the Action items from the minutes of the 15 July 2025 committee meeting. Since they were of ongoing Association matters, he asked that the meeting discuss these items under the relevant subject headings later in the meeting. This proposal was accepted.

– This section of the meeting contained the bulk of the discussion around Chevron activities, communication with Chevron, the recently appointed Professional Corporate Sole Trustee (PCST) and the 2025 Pensions Bill.

Chevron Activity

DAH had received a comprehensive report of Chevron activities around the world from Mr Ewan Chesser. Mr Chesser is Global Engineering Management Advisor, Chevron UK. The report of the company’s international expansion projects and record production levels was encouraging. After a number of decades organised around business lines, the company is shifting towards functional lines. (Which many retirees may remember from the ‘60’s through the ‘90’s). The report stated that redundancies and staff relocations continued. The Aberdeen presence is now just 5 employees.

Action: DAH to thank Mr. Chesser for his report and ask whether he is still Chairman of Chevron Energy Limited (UK) and also the number of employees in Canary Wharf.

Living Standards Survey

This survey of pensioners was originally proposed at a meeting in London with Ashley Sanders, Pensions Manager, Simon Owens, then Chairman of the Trustees, DAH and NJ in January 2025. The survey was conducted through the year by Willis, Towers, Watson. The costs of the survey were covered by the plan and results presented in October 2025.

Respondents represented some 25% of the pensioner population. The results confirmed, as expected, that the Chevron Occupational and State pensions were critical in maintaining pensioner wellbeing. This being particularly true for older pensioners, highlighting the importance of pre-97 supplementations. The survey also noted the importance of continuing Company and Trustee communications.

The results will be used in future communications with the company in support of pensions increases.

Action: NJ to email the survey results presentation to committee members.

Professional Corporate Sole Trustee (PCST)

Following the dissolution of the Trustee Board during the 3^rd quarter of 2025, Independent Governance Group (IGG) were appointed as PCST.

3 employees of IGG have been nominated as Chevron Plan Trustees. DAH and NJ met with 2 of these representatives, Mr. Dickon Best and Ms. Annabelle Hardiman on 19 November 2025 in London.

This introductory meeting was open and cordial. Mr. Best went to some length to stress their impartiality and intent to represent members. IGG has a large portfolio of clients. It will important to see how much time they can devote to the Chevron plan.

It was agreed to hold another meeting in the New Year.

Action: Future Trustee communication is a concern. DAH/NJ to contact Simon Owens and Ashley Sanders to discuss relevant mandated Trustee communications.

Communication with the Company

 A letter was sent to Ms. Harriet Wu at the end of 2025 thanking the company for the recent 3% supplementation to pre-97 pensions effective 1 November 2025. A further letter is being prepared to Ms. Wu supporting a similar increase late 2026 or early 2027.

Confirmation that she remains the appropriate US contact on pensions matters will also be requested.

The last meeting held with Ashley Sanders was in June last year. Unfortunately a meeting scheduled for later in the year had to be cancelled. The next meeting with AS is scheduled for early March 2026.

Action: DAH/NJ to report relevant points to committee after this meeting.

Status of Pensions Bill 2025

The Chairman asked Steve Ladle to lead this item of the meeting.

SL had issued a status update to the committee prior to the meeting to prime the discussion. SL summarised the current status with government.

Post meeting, SL has issued a further status note as follows:

Update from Our Campaign Manager Steve Ladle –

February 2026

It’s been a while since my last update in November but CUKPA has continued to be very busy.

Overall, 4 different letters have now been sent by a large number of you. I have been copied in on around 200 responses but hopefully there were a lot more sent on which I wasn’t copied on.  Many of your MP responses have indicated positive support whilst a number (generally from Labour members) got a response setting out the Government line. Just under 50 individual MPs have been contacted with some receiving letters from a number of members.  Lib Dems, Greens and SNP have been consistently supportive.

CUKPA has also written to the Pensions Minister (Torsten Bell) and his boss Pat McFadden and we have submitted a response to a Department of Work and Pensions consultation The Alliance has written to the Prime Minister and has also been very busy lobbying their MPs together with a face-to-face meeting with the Pensions Minister. 

The Bill is currently in the Lords before it comes back to the Commons for the final stage. Lord Davies and a few colleagues have been particularly vocal about the faults with the Bill and that it is being rushed through when it is not legally fit for purpose.

Unfortunately, however, to date no significant amendments of the type we are after have been accepted.

But we haven’t given up yet. I hope to shortly send out another letter for you all to send to your MP, to line up with when the Bill comes back to the Commons.  This will focus on our concerns about the proposals to allow scheme surpluses to be handed back to Employers which we feel has not been properly thought through at all and poses huge risks to Defined Benefit schemes like ours.

Thanks for all your help so far. Please continue to support us.

Alliance Facebook page link – https://www.facebook.com/groups/757211736207518/

Link to the progress of the Scheme Bill	https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3982

Action: SL to prepare further letter to MP’s and article for the website.

The Chairman thanked SL for his continued leadership of this important matter.

Pensioner Meetings

DAH attended meetings of Texaco retirees late 2025 and separately Chevron retirees in early 2026, both in Aberdeen.

AGN, SL and NJ attended the London retirees lunch in October 2025.

Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer PY had offered his apologies for the meeting. NJ presented notes that PY had submitted prior to the meeting:

Current account balance is £9,080, lower than the last Association year end balance, mid 2025 of £9,730.

This is confirmation that inflationary cost increases in all areas have caused expenses to exceed income.

A number of members have increased their standing order subscription payment to £15. This request for an increase needs to be re-iterated to the membership.

Note: Post meeting, PY has stated that he has received push back from a number of members to the subscription increase.

Action: subscription increase to be mentioned again to members.

Committee Membership – NJ confirmed the committee membership to be 9 persons. Nominations and volunteers for committee membership are always welcome, new perspectives being important.

CS is the only member due to renew at the 2026 AGM. SC is willing to be re-elected.

Membership Status – CS presented the membership report which had been issued before the meeting.

Currently 787 members on file.

25 new members joined last quarter 2025.

New membership form on website working well for new members.

Tracking deceased members continues to be a problem as data not readily available. Reports are received twice yearly from Barnett Waddingham. Next report expected March this year.

Action: await receipt of next BW report.

Website Report

There was a short discussion about the website. Due to difficult family medical matters, AGN has unfortunately been unable to devote much time to the website recently. Important communications to members have been placed on the website.

Action: need to source backup and assistance for AGN on website matters.

Next Insight Issue – The next Insight Issue will be April 2026. Submissions to Editor AD by 3^rd week of March.

Risk Register – AD reviewed those items in the risk register requiring discussion and updates.

Items due for review concerned the website around which there was brief discussion.

Post meeting: Alan, there was an item that required action involving Alan and myself. Regret I didn’t make a note. Can you remind me please. Thanks.

AGM to be held 19 August at the Medical Society, Chandos Street, London. Action: AD to contact the Medical Society to book room

– to be held 8 July 2026 in London.

Action: AD to investigate possible locations.

              The meeting closed at 12.30 hours.