§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the £16 million aid offered by the EEC Commission for housing projects in Northern Ireland will have the effect of reducing further the net contribution to be made by the United Kingdom to the EEC under the agreement of 30 May, or whether it will be included as income from the EEC in assessing the size of rebates to be made under that agreement.
§ Mr. Ridley[pursuant to his reply 26 October 1981]: The Government's discussions with Commission officials have proceeded on the basis that the proposed grants for housing in Northern Ireland should lead to an increase in total United Kingdom receipts compared with what would have happened otherwise. It follows from this that, if the proposed payments are made, the effect would be to reduce further the United Kingdom's net budgetary contribution in the event of the agreement of 30 May 1980 being extended to cover the 1982 budget.