HC Deb 11 November 1982 vol 31 cc249-50W
Sir Anthony Meyer

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his current estimate of the outturn for the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Community budget for the United Kingdom financial year 1982–83; and how this compares with the anticipated outturn for Government expenditure in the current financial year on social security, defence, health and personal social services, education, science, arts and libraries, housing and agriculture, fisheries and food.

Mr. Brittan

It is too early to give an estimate of 1982–83 outturn for the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Community Budget and for the other public expenditure programmes named. The plans for 1982–83 given in table 1.9 of the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1982–83 to 1984–85" (Cmnd. 8494) show a figure for the net contribution to European Community institutions of about £½ billion—confirmed in table 2.1 of the autumn statement—compared with about £77½ billion on social security; defence; health and personal social services; education, science, arts and libraries; housing; agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry. For more up-to-date estimates, I ask my hon. Friend to await the next public expenditure White Paper, to be published early in 1983.