IN a climate of rising claims, the British P & I (protection and indemnity) club has decided that members should pay a general increase in premium of five per cent for the 1996 policy year.
What individual members will actually pay will depend on loss records and other factors affecting particular fleets. The estimated supplementary call is 40 per cent.
The directors have agreed to ask for the full 40 per cent supplementary call for the 1994 policy year.
This conforms with the original estimate of two years ago.
Meeting in Bermuda last week, the British club's board saw no reason to change the supplementary call estimates for the 1993 year, for which no further call is expected, or for this year, for which a 40 per cent call has also been estimated.
Stephen James, chairman of Thomas Miller P & I, the managers' London agent, said: 'The growth in claims which we anticipated has indeed been taking place, with the growth in world trade contributing to that upward trend.