§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he will be taking, in the light of the new majority voting procedures under the Single European Act, to encourage the adoption by the Council of measures creating a free market in insurance; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardThe creation of a free market in insurance in the EEC depends primarily on the adoption by the Council of a liberal non-life insurance services directive. Draft proposals for such a directive have already been put by the Commission to the Council of Ministers. We hope that rapid progress can be made with the directive as soon as the judgments in the four insurance cases brought by the Commission before the ECJ are available. No specific additional steps are called for in the light of the proposed adoption of majority voting procedures.