Operation of private schemes

(1) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to prevent an employer from operating any private scheme providing, for any person who is or has been employed by him, benefits of any kind whether similar to benefits under this Act or otherwise. (2) Regulations may provide for the circumstances in which– (a) the amount of benefits provided under this Act together with the amount of identical benefits provided by an employer under any contract of service and particularly those benefits provided under a collective agreement shall not be less favourable than benefits provided by the employer before the enactment of this Act; (b) subject to paragraph (a), benefits provided by the employer which are identical to benefits provided under this Act may be reduced in consideration of identical benefits provided under this Act. 59