The Bain Report on the fire service has suggested motor insurers should contribute to the costs of attending road accidents.
The report was ordered to analyse the fire service, which is in dispute ...
The Bain Report on the fire service has suggested motor insurers should contribute to the costs of attending road accidents.
The report was ordered to analyse the fire service, which is in dispute with the government over pay levels.
Bain argued that charging for such services could raise £100m. This could help fund the changes demanded by the review board.
He said that bringing the service up to "the best standards of other organisations" meant "changing just about everything".
The ABI warned that such a move would result in further hikes in insurance premiums.
An ABI spokesman said: "Levying charges on an industry where rates are rising and margins are being squeezed could filter through to further premium increases. "
A Zurich spokesman said: "Insurers will have no choice but to recoup the additional costs through premium increases.
"The real issue is that the consumer will be hit twice - paying for the fire service through income tax and then finding themselves paying once again, through increases in insurance premiums.
"If the fire service is to recover costs from motor insurers, can the taxpayer expect to pay less tax?"
