HC Deb 19 November 1991 vol 199 c139W
Mr. Paice

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting of the European Community's Budget Council.

Mr. Maude

The Budget Council met in Brussels on 12 November. I represented the United Kingdom. The Council established a second reading draft Budget for 1992 totalling 65,634 million ecu—£45,738 million—in commitment appropriations, compared with the total after the first reading of 65,606 million ecu—£45,718 million.

Financial Perspective Draft Budget1
mecu £ million2 mecu £ million
Commitment appropriations
1. Agricultural guarantee 35,039 24,417 35,008 24,396
2. Structural operations 18,009 12,550 18,009 12,500
3. Multi-annual programmes 3,115 2,171 2,687 1,872
4. Other policies 5,224 3,640 5,135 3,578
5. Reimbursements and administration 4,205 2,930 3,795 2,645
6. Monetary reserve 1,000 697 1,000 697
Total: Commitment appropriations of which: 66,592 46,406 65,634 45,738
compulsory 38,729 26,989 38,548 26,862
non-compulsory 27,863 19,417 27,086 18,875
Total: Payment appropriations3 of which: 63,241 44,070 62,417 43,496
compulsory 38,669 29,947 38,475 26,812
non-compulsory 24,572 17,123 23,942 16,684
1 Council's second reading draft budget established on 12 November.
2 The ERM central rate of £1 = 1.435 ecu is used throughout this reply.
3 There is only a global ceiling for payments.

The European Parliament will consider the draft budget at its plenary in December. The 1992 draft budget is expected to be adopted by the Parliament on 12 December.