Sir Nicholas Montagu

Sir Nicholas Montagu

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, Vince Cable, has questioned the impartiality, effectiveness and independence of the Norwich Union With-Profits Committee (set up to protect the interests of policyholders).

He is concerned about Norwich Union's plans to distribute a proportion of its inherited estate to policyholders over three years, as opposed to a one off lump sum payment.

Mr Cable wrote to Sir Nicholas Montagu, chairman of the committee, questioning the committee's role in allowing the special bonus to be phased over three years.

Quote:

"Your committee has been established to protect the interests of policyholders and yet in your first public act you seem to have destroyed any prospect of being seen as a credible champion for them."

Montagu, a former civil servant who presided over the Inland Revenue during a period of bungles and who now gives after-dinner speeches for £5K a time, is seemingly reluctant to answer questions from "This Is Money" about this decision.

However, Montagu is paid from policyholders' funds to safeguard their interests therefore he is obliged to answer questions from policyholders.

Policyholders should send their complaints, comments and any queries relating to his role to:

Sir Nicholas Montagu,
Norwich Union With-Profits Committee,
Norwich Union Life,
2 Rougier Street,
York
YO90 1UU.

With-profits committees, if they are to really serve the policyholders that they claim to represent, need to be independent, impartial and effective.

It would appear that some fall short of this.