§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the desirability of permitting the Commission to proceed with the drafting of a directive on the abolition of controls on weapons at internal Community frontiers; and if she will further seek agreement at the Council that any such proposal should be subject to unanimity despite the terms of the Single Act.
§ The Prime MinisterIt is open to the Commission to make proposals on matters falling within the scope of the Community treaties. We are aware that the Commission is preparing a proposal for a directive covering the movement of firearms across internal Community frontiers. Any proposal which is put to the Council of Ministers will be examined very carefully but there is no question of our being prevented from carrying out the kind of checks which are needed to preserve our security and maintain law and order. The attitude taken by the United Kingdom will depend on the content of the proposal and our analysis of its implications.