Lords Second Reading Committee motion to consider the Bill. Agreed to on question.

Lords Second Reading Committee motion to consider the Bill. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, this Bill updates some important elements of insurance law. The existing legislation is outdated and does not reflect the commercial expectations of businesses purchasing insurance. That leads to disputes between insurers and policyholders, causing delay, expense and uncertainty. This undermines the reputation of one of the UK’s leading...

My Lords, this Bill updates some important elements of insurance law. The existing legislation is outdated and does not reflect the commercial expectations of businesses purchasing insurance. That leads to disputes between insurers and policyholders, causing delay, expense and uncertainty. This undermines the reputation of one of the UK’s leading...

My Lords, I do not intend to detain the Committee very long, but I just want to say how pleased I am that we have before us today this modest little Bill. I hope that we will find, as we get into the detail, that it is largely uncontroversial, simplifying...

My Lords, I do not intend to detain the Committee very long, but I just want to say how pleased I am that we have before us today this modest little Bill. I hope that we will find, as we get into the detail, that it is largely uncontroversial, simplifying...

My Lords, at the outset I make the point that I very much support the provisions in the Bill, which has been welcomed by all sides of the insurance industry, including insurers, insurance brokers and their trade associations. The Bill is also supported by the Chartered Insurance Institute. I commend...

My Lords, at the outset I make the point that I very much support the provisions in the Bill, which has been welcomed by all sides of the insurance industry, including insurers, insurance brokers and their trade associations. The Bill is also supported by the Chartered Insurance Institute. I commend...

My Lords, the Minister is to be commended for bringing this Bill before the House and agreeing the procedure for Law Commission Bills. A Bill modernising important elements of the UK’s insurance law is perhaps not likely to achieve public acclaim, but it genuinely contributes to strengthening the UK’s global...

My Lords, the Minister is to be commended for bringing this Bill before the House and agreeing the procedure for Law Commission Bills. A Bill modernising important elements of the UK’s insurance law is perhaps not likely to achieve public acclaim, but it genuinely contributes to strengthening the UK’s global...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken in this debate. I think that they all stressed the importance of greater clarity in the areas covered by the Bill, and indeed they felt that the Bill achieves that clarity. Certainly, as a non-expert, I was able to get...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken in this debate. I think that they all stressed the importance of greater clarity in the areas covered by the Bill, and indeed they felt that the Bill achieves that clarity. Certainly, as a non-expert, I was able to get...

My Lords, I do not believe that the range of risk will be any greater. Under this Bill, the range of risk to which the insurers are exposed will be brought in line with the current industry best practice and the standards to which insurers are held under FSA rules...

My Lords, I do not believe that the range of risk will be any greater. Under this Bill, the range of risk to which the insurers are exposed will be brought in line with the current industry best practice and the standards to which insurers are held under FSA rules...

I should perhaps explain the point about cost. Given that the catch-all clause from the Marine Insurance Act 1906 is removed, necessarily the range of risks to which the insurance company is exposed will be greater. Given that, it is likely that the premium charge will be greater. That was...

I should perhaps explain the point about cost. Given that the catch-all clause from the Marine Insurance Act 1906 is removed, necessarily the range of risks to which the insurance company is exposed will be greater. Given that, it is likely that the premium charge will be greater. That was...

Good. I, too, am grateful that we have nailed that one. On the other questions raised by the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, there is first this difficult issue about permissible questions and specifically questions of gender and race. They are made particularly difficult by the recent judgment of the court...

Good. I, too, am grateful that we have nailed that one. On the other questions raised by the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, there is first this difficult issue about permissible questions and specifically questions of gender and race. They are made particularly difficult by the recent judgment of the court...

I am most grateful to the noble Lord. The trouble on these occasions is that the Hansard reporters tend to remove the relevant documents. I am most grateful for his clarification.

I am most grateful to the noble Lord. The trouble on these occasions is that the Hansard reporters tend to remove the relevant documents. I am most grateful for his clarification.

I am grateful for that, because some of this has been a touch technical and some rather fundamental. I will talk about the process in a moment, as my noble friend Lord Higgins asked about the procedure for Law Commission Bills. The fact that it is a Law Commission Bill...

I am grateful for that, because some of this has been a touch technical and some rather fundamental. I will talk about the process in a moment, as my noble friend Lord Higgins asked about the procedure for Law Commission Bills. The fact that it is a Law Commission Bill...

My Lords, I start my response to what has been a helpful discussion by thanking the noble Lords who have taken the trouble to contribute this afternoon. The points have been wide-ranging and constructive. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, for his faith that I can respond...

My Lords, I start my response to what has been a helpful discussion by thanking the noble Lords who have taken the trouble to contribute this afternoon. The points have been wide-ranging and constructive. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, for his faith that I can respond...

My Lords, I entirely understand the noble Lord’s position and am quite happy to receive written answers to my questions.

My Lords, I entirely understand the noble Lord’s position and am quite happy to receive written answers to my questions.

My Lords, I begin by raising one or two questions of a procedural nature. I am not clear whether I am speaking in the gap. My understanding is that there is virtually no precedent for the procedure that we have adopted today other than for one previous Law Commission Bill....

My Lords, I begin by raising one or two questions of a procedural nature. I am not clear whether I am speaking in the gap. My understanding is that there is virtually no precedent for the procedure that we have adopted today other than for one previous Law Commission Bill....

My Lords, I express my gratitude to the Minister and his team and to Mr David Hertzell of the Law Commission for their briefing on the Bill, which was very helpful indeed. In debates on measures brought before Parliament, the claim is often made—and perhaps even sometimes believed—that the consequences...

My Lords, I express my gratitude to the Minister and his team and to Mr David Hertzell of the Law Commission for their briefing on the Bill, which was very helpful indeed. In debates on measures brought before Parliament, the claim is often made—and perhaps even sometimes believed—that the consequences...

My Lords, I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak in what I assume is the Second Reading of this Bill and to congratulate the Government on a piece of legislation that has long been needed. I became aware of the issues that this Bill attempts to redress when...

My Lords, I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak in what I assume is the Second Reading of this Bill and to congratulate the Government on a piece of legislation that has long been needed. I became aware of the issues that this Bill attempts to redress when...

My Lords, I shall try to be brief in my contribution to this Second Reading debate. Until late last week, I had not intended to take part in the debate so I did not attend the briefing meeting that I understand my noble friend the Minister arranged. I also apologise...

My Lords, I shall try to be brief in my contribution to this Second Reading debate. Until late last week, I had not intended to take part in the debate so I did not attend the briefing meeting that I understand my noble friend the Minister arranged. I also apologise...

That the Committee do consider the Bill.

That the Committee do consider the Bill.

My Lords, this Bill implements the recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission in their 2009 joint report on the law governing pre-contract disclosure and misrepresentation in consumer insurance contracts. This report highlighted an area where a complex and confusing array of rules and regulation has emerged...

My Lords, this Bill implements the recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission in their 2009 joint report on the law governing pre-contract disclosure and misrepresentation in consumer insurance contracts. This report highlighted an area where a complex and confusing array of rules and regulation has emerged...

Lords Second Reading Committee motion to consider the Bill. Agreed to on question.

Lords Second Reading Committee motion to consider the Bill. Agreed to on question.