Biba has come under fire from brokers for wasting too much time on technical issues and not enough acting for its members.

The trade association intends to draw up guidelines to help members when an account is being transferred from one broker to another.

It will include technical information on databases not being transferred in time for renewals and, where new brokers do not have a relationship with the existing insurer, how they deal with the policy.

Peter Staddon, Biba head of technical services, said Biba had been prompted to examine the issue after complaints from insurers who had become "a net in a game of ping pong".

But Grant Ellis, Broker Network chief executive, said he was "a little" surprised that Biba was finding problems with acquisitions.

He said: "There is an unwritten understanding that when you buy a book of business you take on the outstanding account issues, servicing issues and so on."

Another broker added: "Biba has lost complete touch with the issues that affect all small brokers. It is just interested in sucking up to the big boys and playing ball with the FSA, which is not what they were originally set up to do."