The Body Repair Industry Campaign (BRIC) has raised the heat in its fight against poor insurance practices after sympathetic MPs tabled two Parliamentary questions.

RMI Bodyshop Services director Bob Hood said: “These are the first in a series of carefully structured questions to Government ministers that will help form part of market distortion and anti-competitive practices by certain insurance companies.” Mr Hood, who urged repairers to write to their local MPs, the Director General of Fair Trading and the Trade and Industry Secretary to maintain pressure on insurers, has asked the Association of British Insurers to provide clarification on insurer-owned bodyshops. “MPs are interested in how the full breakdown of repair costs are treated including parts, paint and materials, labour rates and other charges, and what constitutes an acceptable add-on margin to reflect investment in facility and equipment,” he said. The RMI has backed calls from body repairers for a think-tank to be set up to enable repairers and insurers to share resources and information. Mr Hood said: “Repairers are currently unable to effectively plan their workload as insurance claims information is not sufficiently consistent, transparent and up-to-date.”