§ Mr. Marlowasked the Chancellor of the Exhequer what are the latest estimates of the net European Economic Community budget deficit for 1980 and 1981, showing the likely and recorded monthly net cash flows for each year.
§ Mr. Ridley[pursuant to his reply, 16 November 1981]: The monthly net cash flows to and from the European Community budget during 1980 and the first nine months of 1981 are shown in the following table:
223W
£ million 1980 1981 January -55 +159 February -90 +189 March -10 -78 April -87 -89 May -108 -121
£ million 1980 1981 June -93 -151 July -52 -142 August -105 -185 September -81 -80 October -73 — November -58 — December +105 — (January to September) Total -707 -498 A negative sign indicates a payment to the Community; a positive sign indicates a receipt. Cash flow figures for October are not yet available. I regret that it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate, on a monthly basis, of cash flows over the remainder of this year. Contributions to the Community are affected by the timing of payments of levies and duties by importers; payments from the Community are dependent on decisions by the Commission and the timing of these cannot be predicted.