§ 7. Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Economic Community in 1983; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Nicholas Ridley)It is impossible to estimate our gross, let alone our net, contribution for 1983 at this stage.
§ Mr. TaylorEveryone has welcomed the temporary rebates that have been achieved over the past two years, but is it not intolerable that after 10 years we still have not had a permanent change in the unfair rules and that during that time Britain has had to pay over £1 million a day net every day? What options are open to the Government if there is a continued refusal by the EEC to change the rules, which are grossly unfair to the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. RidleyI agree with my hon. Friend that an equitable, long-term solution is highly desirable, and that is what we have been pressing for ever since my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor made a speech at The Hague setting out a possible way to achieve that. However, I think that my hon. Friend will not disagree when I say that we have to negotiate for the next arrangement as hard as we can.
§ Mr. FlanneryIs it not true that the Government know with accuracy how much membership of the EEC costs but are frightened to tell the British people, because the people wish to come out of the Common Market? If the Government do not know, is it not disgraceful? What kind of Exchequer have we if it does not know these costs? Is not the reality that the British people want to come out of the Community as it is too expensive, is backward and does everything that it should not do?
§ Mr. RidleyThe reality is that the hon. Gentleman has not done his homework. He should know that the 1983 budget has not yet been adopted by the European Parliament and, furthermore, that no agreement has so far been negotiated for the refund of British contributions.