Fraud bills face election threat

The prospect of a general election in 2005 gives the government just four months to push through its huge law and order legislative programme announced in the Queen's Speech at the end of last year. Quite simply, there isn't a hope of the seven major crime bills getting through parliament in that time. This means that measures such as the formation of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and new police powers to seize and destroy uninsured cars could simply disappear over the political horizon.

The trouble with the period running up to a general election is that everything is judged almost entirely on its potential to win or lose votes in the imminent poll. Throw into this mix the 'horse trading' over what gets passed and what gets ditched - which goes on in the last couple of weeks of parliament before an election - and the potential for some very bad legislation being passed in the run-up to elections becomes obvious.

This is a particular worry when it comes to SOCA. Many in the industry are already uneasy that the SOCA draft legislation does not specify insurance fraud as one of the crimes it should tackle and are pressing for this to be made explicit in its founding objectives. The chances of this intelligent and sensible point being heard above the clash of political heavyweights that will surround this bill is negligible.

The government is likely to jettison some of its other crime-fighting measures. These might be good for some headlines and may help Labour in elbowing the Tories off their traditional spot on the law and order beat, but won't be a priority for being turned into reality. Extending powers over uninsured driving are likely to be among the measures not considered vital in the run-up to the election.

But, tackling uninsured driving is too important to be jeopardised by getting it wrong, so it might be better if it is overlooked until the new parliament is sitting later in the year. By that time, the government/industry working party - the Motor Insurance Compliance Board - will have had time to look at the feasibility of the various measures proposed and there will be an opportunity to take some properly considered action to stamp out the menace of uninsured driving.