The Financial Ombudsman Service has announced plans to open its "voluntary jurisdiction" to cover complaints about insurance intermediaries.
Releasing its feedback on the responses to its May 2002 consultation paper, the Ombudsman revealed that it will widen the scope of its jurisdiction.
Firms can sign up to join its "voluntary jurisdiction" which covers certain types of complaints not covered automatically under its "compulsory jurisdiction".
The voluntary jurisdiction will now cover general
insurance and long-term insurance intermediaries, it said.
The Ombudsman will approach relevant firms from 1 January 2003 with a view to their applying to join voluntary jurisdiction. The jurisdiction will the apply from 1 April 2003.
In its latest paper, the Ombudsman said: "It will be a question for GISC, and not for us, whether it should encourage relevant member firms to join our voluntary jurisdiction - or even whether it should require them to do so. Some respondents supported the possibility of GISC recognising us as the only mechanism for complaints.
"But GISC would have to resolve some competition law issues if it wished to do this."
