§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the position regarding free trade in non-life insurance within the European Economic Community, following the ruling of the European Court of Justice.
§ Mr. HowardThe European Court of Justice gave judgment in the four important insurance cases, which had been brought by the Commission against Germany, France, Denmark and Ireland, on 4 December. These judgments will represent an important landmark in the development of the Community's internal market in the field of trade in services in general and in insurance services in particular. The main immediate impact is likely to be on the proposed Council directive to facilitate the provision of non-life insurance services. I hope that discussion of this directive will resume as quickly as possible, in the light of the conclusions of the recent meeting in London of the European Council, which called for decisions during 1987 to open up the market in financial services, including insurance.