28/09/2012

OFT To Investigate Insurance Market

The Competition Commission has been asked to investigate the car insurance market, on the basis that it is not working well for motorists.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) made the referral because it was worried the structure of the market was making costs and premiums unnecessarily high.

The OFT provisionally decided in May that the market, worth an estimated £9.4bn in the UK, needed more investigation. It has reached its final decision after a public consultation process.

"Competition appears not to be working effectively in the private motor insurance market," said OFT chief executive Clive Maxwell.

"The insurers of at-fault drivers appear to have little control over the bills they must pay, and this may be leading to higher costs for them and ultimately higher premiums for motorists."

The Commission has two years to report.

(H)




Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

30 January 2013
Petrol Market 'Working Well' - OFT
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has said little action is needed, following a study looking at the UK petrol and diesel market. The report states: "The evidence gathered by the OFT suggests that at a national level, competition is working well in the UK road fuel sector.
14 December 2011
Study To Probe Motor Insurance Premium Surge
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched a market study into private motor insurance in the UK, to investigate recent increases in private motor insurance premiums associated with third party repairs.
09 March 2006
Supermarkets facing competition investigation
The increasing dominance of supermarkets in Britain's grocery market may be investigated, it has been revealed. The Office of Fair Trading has announced that it is planning to refer the issue to the Competition Commission for more detailed investigation.
09 May 2006
Supermarkets to face competition probe
The Office of Fair Trading has announced plans for the Competition Commission (CC) to investigate the UK grocery market. The UK's main supermarket groups have been accused of driving smaller local convenience stores out of business.
29 May 2012
Met Police Launch 'War On Economic Crime'
Over 900 police officers are busy working across London today tackling financial crime against businesses and the public as part of the latest operation in the MPS's Total War on Crime. Launched today, Operation Stimtone is the largest day of action the MPS has ever put together focussing on economic crime.