Unionist concerns at the implications of joint United Kingdom and Irish membership of the European Economic Community are revealed in the Cabinet files released yesterday. At a Cabinet meeting on June 8th, 1967, the Minister of Commerce, Brian Faulkner, felt that if Common Market membership were to lead to an overall increase in national economic activity, Northern Ireland would certainly benefit. However, the Minister of Health and Social Services, William Morgan, explained that serious difficulties would arise if both the UK and the Republic were to be admitted to the EEC.
In particular, there were doubts as to whether the system of permits operating under the North's Safeguarding of Employment Act (1947) - designed to restrict southern migration to the North - could be continued.
Fears were expressed that an ending of the permit system would lead to a considerable increase in the flow of labour into Northern Ireland with serious implications in such places as Derry. The Minister of Development, William Fitzsimmons, said that considerable numbers of "self-employed" appeared to be working in building trades in that city, while Mr Jones noted that the health services in Northern Ireland were an obvious attraction.
The Minister of Home Affairs, William Craig, observed that most European countries seemed to restrict the franchise to their own nationals and this was an aspect which ought to be considered at a later stage.