The Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE) has warned that the costs of professional indemnity insurance are spiralling by up to 300%.
The ACE is calling on the government to promote a bill to change the law on joint and several liability in the construction industry. It predicts a meltdown in the professional indemnity insurance market if the government does not act immediately.

ACE chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said: "UK engineering consultancies are facing intolerable business pressures, brought on by professional indemnity insurance premiums, which in some cases are equivalent to up to 6% of their annual turnover. We need to remove the existing discriminatory system of joint and several liability and replace it with proportionate liability, together with sensible insurance premiums and excesses."