Written question asked by Danny Alexander (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 11 May 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 15 May 2007. It was answered by Ed Balls (Labour) on Monday, 21 May 2007 on behalf of the Treasury.

Insurance: Social Rented Housing

Question: (2) what discussions he has had with (a) the insurance industry, (b) local government and (c) housing associations on promoting insure with rent schemes among uninsured households;

Answer: The Government recognise the important role of insurance as a financial tool, enabling people to protect against potential losses arising from risks to assets like home contents or a car.The Treasury has recently announced that insurance will be considered—alongside affordable credit and saving—as part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that everyone is able to plan for the future and cope with financial pressure.The Government have asked the Financial Inclusion Taskforce to work with the Association of British Insurers and the insurance industry, to investigate how insurance can be made an integral part of financial inclusion policy. This work will consider ways of building on existing initiatives, such as insurance with rent schemes, and explore the viability of new initiatives, such as risk-reduction approaches. Local government and housing associations are important stakeholders and will also be involved in discussions.All Ministers with an interest in financial inclusion have been invited to join a ministerial working group, which will determine detailed priorities for financial inclusion policy, including insurance, and publish a detailed action plan after the CSR.

Secondary information