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		Letter to the Editor Lincolnshire Echo - Monday 5th April 2004 Dear Sir, The letter from Bill Newton Dunn MEP on gender equality in the insurance market (April 5th) is a desperate attempt to deflect criticism from his ill-judged support of this EU proposal, which will be very damaging for women. At the moment, women benefit hugely from lower motor insurance rates, because on average they drive more carefully than men. They also benefit from advantageous life assurance rates, as they have longer life expectancy. According to the Association of British Insurers, the measure that Newton Dunn voted for will cost the average woman in Britain an extra £100 a year. It will also tend to make insurance slightly cheaper for (more dangerous) young men, reducing a significant incentive for careful driving. Newton Dunn shows his ignorance of both the insurance industry, and of the statistical techniques it uses, when he describes gender as "a lazy proxy for factors that more accurately determine risk". Industry statistics prove conclusively that gender is one of the most significant predictors of risk, and it is both foolish and unfair to ignore it. This case illustrates again the importance of judging EU proposals not by their titles -- for who could disagree with gender equality? -- but by their small print and their unintended consequences. As we approach the euro-elections in June, women in Lincolnshire might like to remember that Newton Dunn not only voted for higher insurance rates for women, but actually seems proud of it. Yours faithfully, Roger Helmer MEP