In response to Paul Genney's query as to the meaning of the '(a)' after the heading Certificate of Employers' Liability Insurance on EL certs, the answer is actually very simple. (a) refers to a Note – as do (b) and (c) further down the certificate.
If you look down any EL certificate, underneath the signatory (if the certificate has been drafted in accordance with the 1998 regulations) there should be a section titled Notes which defines (a), (b) and (c). Note (a) is defined as: "Where the employer is a company to which regulation 3(2) of the regulations applies, the certificate shall state in a prominent place, either that the policy covers the holding company and all its subsidiaries, or that the policy covers the holding company and all its subsidiaries except any specifically excluded by name, or that the policy covers the holding company and only the named subsidiaries."
In Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 2573, The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations (1998), my understanding is that the issuing insurer is obliged to issue EL certificates containing this information, including the '(a)' after Certificate of Employers' Liability Insurance.
David Allison, Information systems director,Stuart Alexander
