§ Mr. Dykesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the rectifying and supplementary budget No. 2 to the general budget of the European Communities for 1982.
§ Mr. RidleyFollowing the agreement reached at the Foreign Affairs Council on 26 October on the implementation of the agreement of 25 May on refunds for the United Kingdom for 1982, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs reported to the House on 27 October—[Vol. 29, c. 1043–50]—the Commission presented a preliminary draft rectifying and supplementary budget for 1982 on 5 November to give effect to the agreement. The Council established the draft amending budget on 8 November and that draft will now have to be considered by the European Parliament. The principal effects of the draft budget are to reduce the provision for agricultural expenditure by 1,102.8 million ecu—about—£576.8 million—to increase provision for supplementary measures in favour of the United Kingdom by 1,092.0 ecu—about £571.2 million—and to provide for expenditure of 210.0 million ecu—about £109.8 million—on energy projects in the Federal German Republic.