§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many complaints he has received about the operation of the Motor Insurers Bureau for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will give his reasons for his decision to allow the Motor Insurers Bureau to be regulated by a voluntary agreement;
(3) if he will make a statement about the operation of the Motor Insurers Bureau;
(4) if he will review the voluntary agreement operated between his Department and the Motor Insurers Bureau; and if he will make a statement;
(5) what representations he has received about the operation of the Motor Insurers Bureau.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Motor Insurers Bureau provides a central fund to compensate accident victims of uninsured and untraced drivers. It carries out its obligations under the terms of its agreements with the Secretary of State. The agreements have been revised from time to time since the bureau was formed in 1946.
These arrangements have worked satisfactorily. Last year the bureau received some 15,000 applications under the agreements and paid some £28 million in compensation. The Department receives some 30 inquiries or representations a year about specific cases or the bureau's operations generally. Most of these originated from one firm of solicitors.
I have no plans to review the agreements.