§ Mr. Marlowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in the event of any country withholding money from the EEC as a result of the budget dispute, he will, in view of the fact that United Kingdom contributions for 1980 exceed the negotiated amount, ensure that the United Kingdom does likewise.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total payments by the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community budget in each year since 1973; and, expressed at percentages, what increases or decreases the payments represent.
§ Mr. LawsonI shall let my hon. Friends have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the net contribution actually made to the EEC by the United Kingdom in the calendar year 1980; and what were the comparable figures in each of the previous seven years.
§ Mr. Lawson[pursuant to his reply, 13 January 1981]: The information needed to produce a figure for the United Kingdom's net payments to the EEC in the calendar year 587W 1980 is not at present available. The Government intend to publish in the 1981 public expenditure White Paper the two sets of figures described in paragraph 91 of the Treasury minute dated 8 January 1981 replying to the twenty-eighth report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 1979–80.