§ Q118. Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Prime Minister what arrangements have been made for the European Council to consider the EEC budget; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterAs I informed my hon. Friend on 10 February, at column 159, the agenda for the next European Council has not yet been fixed.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Prime Minister if she will make it the policy of Her Majesty's Government that no commitment will be made on behalf of the United Kingdom in the present Parliament which would have the effect of increasing the United Kingdom contribution to the European Economic Community budget now or in the future above the amount payable under the present formula; and if she will publish in the Official Report the percentage increase in the United Kingdom contribution in each of the past three years and the expected increase in the current year compared with the percentage increase in public expenditure at central and local level in the United Kingdom.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. I have made it clear that there is no question of the Government putting any increase in the Community's own resources ceiling to the present Parliament.
The net financial obligations on the United Kingdom resulting from successive Community budgets on a calendar year basis are shown in table 3.3.1 in the public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 56-II) and the net 522W payments to the European Community budget on a financial year basis in table 3.3. The percentage changes in the net payments to the European Community budget, after taking account of the effects of refunds or abatements, shown in table 3.3, are:
Percentage 1984–85 +18 1985–86 -12 1986–87 +27 1987–88 -16 The comparable figures for central and local government expenditure are given in table 2.3. The percentage increases are:
central government local government 1984–85 +8 +5 1985–86 +7 +1 1986–87 +6 +10 1987–88 +3 +4
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Prime Minister whether she will publish in the Official Report a list of the economic benefits which the United Kingdom obtained from membership of the European Economic Community in 1986, together with details of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Economic Community budget.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government's assessment of the economic benefits which the United Kingdom obtains from membership of the European Community is contained in their evidence to the Treasury and Civil Service Sub-committee inquiry into the financial arid economic consequences of United Kingdom membership of the European Communities (House of' Commons 57-II, Session 1984–85).
A final outturn figure for the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC budget in 1986 is not yet available. A preliminary estimate of £326 million was published last October in the White Paper on the 1986 Community budget (Cmnd. 9907).