AMPS chairman Andrew Roberts, who blogs regularly for Sipps Professional, has stepped down from his role as chairman as he previewed in his September blog.

In his final blog as AMPS chairman, exclusively for Sipps Professional, Mr Roberts urged the Sipps and SSAS sectors to "keep the faith" by focusing on doing what is right for the customer at all times.

He also covered the threat from pension liberation and urged the HMRC to "focus its attention on applying the scheme sanction charge to the receiving scheme and only raise charges against the transferring scheme in extreme cases."

Mr Roberts will be replaced as AMPS chairman by Neil MacGillvray of James Hay who will be acting chairman until 18 October when the next committee meeting takes place and a replacement is expected to be decided.

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Mr Roberts, who has been on the committee for six years, said he had enjoyed working with a high calibre group of experts and had valued his time on the committee. He said, however, it was time to make way for new ideas and new blood.

There were also some other departures from the AMPS committee with Tony Moore of Ingenuity, Martin Cadman of MC Trustees and Renata Chester of Suffolk Life also stepping down. Joining the committee as new members are Zoe Smith of Barnett Waddingham, Francis Moore of EPM, Angela Varley of Hornbuckle Mitchell and Stephan Wood of Towry.

• Read Andrew Roberts final blog as AMPS chairman http://bit.ly/GCsbiw