Car Insurance Scam
Car insurance has been hitting the headlines - with Labour's former Justice Secretary - Jack Straw - demanding firm government action over frivolous claims.
Apparently while the number of road accidents has dropped significantly since the mid 1990's - the cost of car insurance premiums keep going up and up.
For example, in 2009 the number of road accidents - involving personal injury - was 31% down on the five year average between 1994-98.
Yet the cost of claims has doubled in 10 years - from £7bn to £14bn - and as a result insurance premiums have shot up - by 30% in the past year alone.
So Jack Straw has a good point - which he is raising as an individual MP.
Quite why the problem didn't appear on the Labour government's radar - over a 13 year period - is another question altogether.
But to give credit where credit's due - Jack Straw's actually raising a significant issue from the backbenches.
And he has also highlighted a real scandal - whereby insurance companies (and at least one police force) have been 'selling on' people's personal details - which is a clear breach of data protection legislation.
So Jack is doing his best to make a difference - instead of going into a giant sulk about losing his ministerial privileges.
The present government should now follow Jack Staw's lead - because no one wants to see frivolous claims driving up the costs of driving a car.
Apparently while the number of road accidents has dropped significantly since the mid 1990's - the cost of car insurance premiums keep going up and up.
For example, in 2009 the number of road accidents - involving personal injury - was 31% down on the five year average between 1994-98.
Yet the cost of claims has doubled in 10 years - from £7bn to £14bn - and as a result insurance premiums have shot up - by 30% in the past year alone.
So Jack Straw has a good point - which he is raising as an individual MP.
Quite why the problem didn't appear on the Labour government's radar - over a 13 year period - is another question altogether.
But to give credit where credit's due - Jack Straw's actually raising a significant issue from the backbenches.
And he has also highlighted a real scandal - whereby insurance companies (and at least one police force) have been 'selling on' people's personal details - which is a clear breach of data protection legislation.
So Jack is doing his best to make a difference - instead of going into a giant sulk about losing his ministerial privileges.
The present government should now follow Jack Staw's lead - because no one wants to see frivolous claims driving up the costs of driving a car.
