§ Sir David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many British citizens he estimates held a life insurance policy in 1979; and how many in 1987.
§ Mr. Howard[pursuant to his reply, 11 March 1987, c. 196]: The Department does not collect statistics on the numbers of insurance policies issued. However, figures published by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) indicate that 101.9 million individual ordinary and industrial life policies were in force in the United Kingdom in 1979. This figure had fallen to 95 million by 1985, the last year for which data are available. Within the totals the number of ordinary life policies had risen from 21.6 million in 1979 to 31.2 million in 1985. The number of individual industrial life policies (those where premiums are collected more frequently than every two months at the assured's residence) fell from 80.3 million in 1979 to 64 million in 1985.