§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was Great Britain's net contribution in sterling to the EEC budget in 1974; and what percentage of Great Britain's total public expenditure this figure represents.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett:The net United Kingdom contribution to the budget of the European Communities in 1974 was £31 million. This represented less than 0.1 per cent. of total public expenditure for the same period. The figure for the United Kingdom contribution in 1974 210W reflected some technical and other factors and does not provide a reliable guide for future years
§ Mr. Jayasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the size of the EEC budget in 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1974; what is the estimate for 1975; and how much has been or will be contributed by the United Kingdom in each period.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett:The following is the information requested:
(i) SIZE OF THE COMMUNITY BUDGET: £million 1970 … … 1,913 1971 … … 1,090 1972 … … 1,544 1973 … … 2,055 1974 … … 2,177 1975 (estimated) … … 2,528
ii) UNITED KINGDOM CONTRIBUTION: £millions Gross contribution Receipts Net contribution 1973 … 181 77 104 1974 … 179 148 31 1975 (estimated) … 305 230–240 65–75