asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether the prohibition of unlicensed assurance business will apply in EEC conditions.

Arrangements for the conduct of insurance business in the EEC will be the subject of a Community directive which has not yet been prepared. While it may be taken that there will be some element of liberalisation of insurance business in accordance with the Treaty of Rome, the details have yet to be settled by the Community.

Would the Minister assure us that in our case, in regard to liberalisation in accordance with the Treaty of Rome, this will apply in particular to the insurance industry because it is restricted at the moment and is precluding brokers and people who need insurance from going abroad where in fact they can be assured of being insured?

The general concept of the Treaty of Rome would call for liberalisation in this sphere and there is no doubt there will be liberalisation but I could not forecast the extent of it at present.