§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of any recent proposals of the presidency of the Council of Finance Ministers of the European Communities relating to the harmonisation of value added tax.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardI wrote to the hon. Gentleman on Wednesday 19 June to bring him up to date on the position we have reached in the indirect tax negotiations in Europe. I attached to my letter a note summarising the previous proposals for the approximation of indirect taxes and the compromise proposals to be presented by the Luxembourg presidency to ECOFIN on 24 June, and an annex giving full details of the presidency proposals.
My letter and its attachments were placed in the Library on Friday 21 June. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will report the meeting of the ECOFIN in Council on 24 June to the House in the normal way.