§ Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the progress of the negotiations with other European Economic Community countries regarding the United Kingdom budgetary contribution.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have made considerable progress since the last European Council. At Dublin, the Council asked the Commission to examine ways of increasing Community expenditure in the United Kingdom. The Commission has now produced a paper showing that, there is ample scope for doing this and proposing a procedure. What now remains to be done is to agree the amount and duration of the assistance to be provided. Intensive discussions to this end are taking place at both ministerial and official level. I have had meetings with both Signor Cossiga and Chancellor Schmidt and will be seeing the Chancellor again later this month.