Solvency II

The UK insurance industry is urging the FSA to push ahead with some parts of the Solvency II regime at the start of 2013, despite the fact the rest of the continent is likely to delay until 2014.

Almost 30 million protection policies were in force last year with consumers receiving over £32m per day in benefits, according to the ABI.

Hector Sants, the FSA chief executive, has admitted the "considerable" costs of implementing Solvency II may outweigh the short-term benefits to the industry.