No need for a crisis on MMI
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• The scramble by local authorities to obtain vehicle insurance after Municipal Mutual Insurance's suspension of business last week need never have taken place, says Association of County Councils' under secretary Clive Grenyer.
"There is no legal requirement for councils to he insured by outside firms at all," says Grenyer. "Local authorities may legally carry their own insurance on vehicles which they own. Hampshire County Council has been doing it for years."
Last week as MMI suspended business on insurance policies which were due for renewal on 1 October several councils halted some services until they could arrange alternative cover.
Exeter County Council took its 200 vehicles off the road last week, including nine refuse collection vehicles. City solicitor Jennifer Atyeo said most had been returned to service quickly once emergency cover had been arranged.