§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Prime Minister what is the total refund expected from the EEC in respect of the United Kingdom contribution to the EEC budget in the current financial year as a result of her negotiations with the Prime Ministers and Heads of Government of other member States; and how this compares with 399W the additional cost to the United Kingdom consumer estimated to result from the change in the value of the green pound since the present Government took office.
§ The Prime MinisterFigures for the United Kingdom refunds from the Community Budget cannot be meaningfully compared with estimates of expenditure on food by United Kingdom consumers. The refunds redress a direct loss of resources by the United Kingdom, whereas the greater part of domestic expenditure on food represents a transfer of resources between different sectors of the United Kingdom economy.
The refunds that the Government expect to receive during the current financial year amount to £680 million, as my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal indicated in his answer to my hon. Friend the
COST OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS* Department 1978–79 Actual costs† 1979–80 Forecast of outturn 1980–81 Estimate Change between 1979–80 and 1980–81‡ £ million £ million £ million £ million Per cent. ODA … … … … 24.8 32.2 40.5 +8.3 +25.8 MAFF … … … … 136.4 167.1 198.9 +31.8 +19.0 Health and Safety Commission and Executive … … … 49.3 58.4 73.7 +15.3 +26.2 Energy … … … … 16.7 23.3 29.2 +5.9 +25.7 Education and Science … … 23.9 33.5 40.0 +6.5 +19.7 OAL … … … … 8.0 12.8 14.0 +1.2 +9.4 Welsh Office … … … 18.6 24.0 28.9 +4.9 +20.4 Northern Ireland Office … … 4.3 5.8 7.8 +2.0 +36.2 * Costs include salaries, wages, personnel overheads, accommodation costs, office services and othe running expenses; and "notional" elements for pension etc. liability and equivalent market rents. † 1978–79 figures exclude certain PSA costs which are not available. Percentage change between 1978–79 and 1979–80 is therefore not shown. ‡ Percentages calculated on rounded totals.