It was reported in your news article on 12 April about Quinn Insurance that, of £5m of premiums due to the assigned risks pool underwriters, only £2m had been paid to date.

I was forced to enter the ARP this year because my gross fee income was less than the unofficial fee level imposed by our prescribed insurers. I paid a premium based on 27.5% of my previous year's gross fees to permit me to continue in practice. I now discover that less than 40% of my direct competitors have paid for their insurance. This is completely unfair.

Presumably, failure to pay for insurance is not one of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s target areas or they would have taken action by now. Surely any firm of solicitors that cannot or will not pay for its professional indemnity insurance is a danger to the profession and a danger to the public, and should be closed down.

Bernard Cordell, Solicitor, London NW2