HC Deb 24 May 1973 vol 857 cc652-3
15. Mr. Jay

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all items in the EEC Information Budget are available for scrutiny by him.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Jay

If the Minister is familiar with all these facts, will he tell the House whether the report is correct that secret retaining fees are paid to undisclosed persons out of the Information Budget?

Mr. Jenkin

The right hon. Gentleman continues to make anonymous accusations of this sort. If the right hon. Gentleman will supply me with the details of the irregularities to which he is seeking to draw attention we will have them investigated. Until we have particulars of the irregularities that the right hon. Gentleman wishes us to investigate we cannot take the matter further.

Mr. Selwyn Gummer

Does my hon. Friend agree that the European Parliament has increasing power over the budget of the Commission? If the Labour Party sent representatives to that Parliament, does my hon. Friend agree that they could raise the question at that forum if they considered that it should be raised?

Hon. Members

Oh.

Mr. Jenkin

The only thing that puzzles me is why that eminently sensible statement should be greeted with jeers from the Opposition.

Mr. Brian Walden

Will the Minister now return to the point that was put to him earlier? If the information is supplied to him will he make himself accountable for the transactions that go on? Or is it pointless to put the information to him? Does he intend to shield behind the claim that this is a matter for the European authorities?

Mr. Jenkin

The hon. Gentleman can hardly have listened to my reply to his right hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, North (Mr. Jay). I asked the right hon. Gentleman to let me have the information on which he bases his accusations.