HC Deb 20 October 1981 vol 10 cc93-4W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest total of the payments which the United Kingdom has received and paid into the EEC since the United Kingdom joined the EEC; and if he will express the totals as a ratio and also as a net amount per day, including Saturdays and Sundays.

Mr. Ridley:

Gross payments made by the United Kingdom to the Community budget from 1 January 1973 to 30 June 1981 amounted to £7,676 million. Receipts from the Community budget in the same period amounted to £4,510 million in accordance with the following table. The difference expressed as a ratio is 1:7:1 and about £1 million as a net amount per day.

After the 30 May 1980 agreement our net payments were dramatically reduced. The figures for receipts include £336.5 million paid in the first quarter of this year under the supplementary measures scheme and £210.5 million paid in January 1981 under the financial mechanism.

£millions
Gross Receipts Payments Receipts other then refunds Refunds Net Total
1973 181 79 102
1974 181 150 31
1975 342 398 -56
1976 463 296 167
1977 737 368 369
1978 1,348 544 804
1979 1,606 659 947
1980 1,767 963 98 706
1981* 1,051 408 547 96
Total 7,676 3,865 645 3,166
* 1 January to 30 June.(Number of days between 1 January 1973 and 30 June 1981=3, 103)
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the actual net payments made to the EEC in the year to date, and what were the comparable figures in the same period of each of the past eight years.

Mr. Ridley:

The United Kingdom made net payments to the EC budget totaling £96 million in the period 1 January to 30 June 1981. Comparable figures for each of the last eight years are shown in the following table.

Net payments to the EC budget for the first six month of each year

£ million
1973 72
1974 24
1975 -57
1976 61
1977 186
1978 434
1979 342
1980 346
1981 96