Benefits and Services (Hansard, 9 November 1983)

§ 60. Mr. Nellist
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government policy on standardisation of benefits and services available throughout the European Community.

§ Mr. Rifkind
If, as I assume, this question relates to social services and social security benefits, there is no policy of standardisation in the Community; nor would such a policy be realistic, given the range of different benefits available in member states.

§ Mr. Nellist
Is the Minister aware of a recent United Nations study of European countries, which showed that Britain, of all the Common Market countries, pays by far the lowest unemployment benefit as a percentage of average earnings of a worker with three children? Does not the Minister agree that the Common Market, which has cost £1.6 million per day for the past decade, was sold to the British taxpayer on the basis of an increase in living standards? Despite that, British membership during the past 10 years has produced nothing other than the lowest rate of unemployment benefit.

§ Mr. Rifkind
The hon. Gentleman must be well aware that the tradition of other countries in the Community paying higher social security benefits goes back far more than 10 years. The social security benefits that can be paid by any Government depend on the national wealth of the country involved. This Government's whole economic strategy is devoted to increasing that national wealth.

§ Mr. Marlow
Does my hon. Friend agree that among the benefits that are available to Community members there should be a fair deal on finance, and that 70 or 80 per cent. of the money should not be spent purely on agricultural policy? As the benefits are not fairly distributed, does my hon. Friend agree that there is no evidence whatever that this House would agree, in any circumstances, to an increase in own resources?

§ Mr. Rifkind
The Government's policy is directed towards ensuring that agriculture represents a progressively smaller share of total Community expenditure. I assure my hon. Friend that that will continue to be the basis of Government policy.

§ Mr. Foulkes
Why did the British Government support the removal of funds for the anti-poverty programme from the Community budget? Was it because those funds were intended to support welfare rights programmes and to encourage the take-up of such benefits as still exist under this Government?

§ Mr. Rifkind
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his new appointment. I cannot give him a detailed answer to that question at present, but I assure him that the basis of Government policy on such matters is to ensure the best possible use of the resources available.