Can you suggest a way of getting temporary breakdown cover so a relative can drive my car?
You may not need anything. If your existing policy is vehicle cover, it covers the car whoever is driving it with your permission; your relative is already covered. Check the policy document for the words "any driver" or "the vehicle" rather than your name.
If your policy is personal cover, it follows you, not the car, and your relative would not be covered. Options then are: ask your provider whether a named driver can be added for a short period (some allow it, usually for a fee); ask whether your relative's own policy is personal cover, in which case they are covered in your car already; or buy short-term vehicle cover. A few providers sell cover by the week or month, and most will sell an annual policy that you can cancel within the cooling-off period, though you will pay a cancellation charge.
Short-term car insurance policies sometimes include basic breakdown cover, which is worth checking if the relative is arranging temporary insurance anyway. Our guide to personal versus vehicle cover explains how to tell which type you have.
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