Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) is to invite its customers to participate in its ethical investment strategy.

The general insurer will be consulting all five million of its customer through a detailed questionnaire on corporate governance, social, ethical and environmental issues.

CIS chief executive Mervyn Pedelty said: "In the best traditions of the co-operative movement, we believe CIS customers have a right to have a say in that policy.

"These are not easy subjects and we think that the social, ethical and environmental issues on which we engage should reflect the values of our customers."