§ Mr. Spearingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the appropriate reference numbers or chapters of all expenditure in the proposed budget of the European Communities 1978 which depend on the authority of Article 235 of the Treaty of Rome.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe principal item of expenditure included in the Community budget for which the ultimate legal base is Article 235 of the Treaty of Rome is the Regional Development Fund. I regret that the details of all the items in the Community Budget for which Article 235 provides the ultimate legal basis could not be made available without disproportionate effort and expense.
However, expenditure on any new activity for which Article 235 provides the legal base would require a prior policy decision by the Council of Ministers acting unanimously as laid down in Article 235.