On 11 June 2008, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Insurance and Financial Services held a meeting focused on consumer insurance law, at which it considered the responses to the Law Commission’s Consultation  Paper (CP) on “Misrepresentation, Non-Disclosure and Breach of Warranty by the Insured” (See: Press Release: 13 June 2008). Responses were received from consumer groups, academics, brokers and lawyers, as well as from insurers.

At the meeting, Mr David Hertzell, who is leading the project for the Law Commission, said that of the 39 insurers and insurance associations that had responded, only 4 argued against statutory reform affecting consumers. The majority of responses agreed that the current law, with its overlapping layers of case law, Financial Services Authority regulation and Financial Ombudsman Service guidance, is unacceptably complex, confusing and inaccessible.

This meeting came shortly after the Law Commission issued its summary of responses to the CP (See: Summary of responses). The final report and draft bill on consumer insurance law expected to be published during 2009.

The Law Commission will also publish a further paper summarizing the responses to its proposals relating to the reform of business insurance law, although no date for publication has been set.