End to Discrimination in Insurance

9.29.20am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 31st Mar 2004

In a groundbreaking vote in the European Parliament yesterday, MEPs voted to end gender discrimination in insurance markets.

Today's vote will have particular implications for motor, health and life insurance.

"Insurance companies should not automatically class 'young male drivers' as irresponsible and therefore having to pay more for their motor insurance. Insurers should assess each person on their merits, not block label them. We should insure people as individuals not on the basis of gender stereotypes," said East Midlands Euro-MP Bill Newton Dunn after the vote.

The Lib Dem MEP continued:

"No longer will sex be used as a 'lazy' proxy for the true determining factors such as health, lifestyle, and eating and drinking habits. Statistics show that 86% of men and women share similar life expectancies once other factors have been taken into account."

However, Mr Newton Dunn was disappointed that the UK Conservatives chose to vote against the proposal. "It is a shame that the Tories, including East Mids MEP Chris Heaton Harris, once again could not bring themselves to support the principle of equality. They voted for an amendments to exclude the insurance markets and subsequently they voted against the whole proposal, thereby voting against equality in all goods and services available to the public, not just insurance."

Editors' Note:

The figure of 86% can be found in the European Commission's MEMO/03/216.