HC Deb 16 May 1975 vol 892 cc189-90W
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Great Britain's net contribution in sterling to the EEC budget has been from January 1975 to date; and what percentage of Great Britain's total public expenditure this figure represents.

Mr. Joel Barnett

On the basis of provisional figures of outturn the United Kingdom's gross contribution to the European Community budget in the first four months of 1975 was £;97 million with receipts amounting to £146 million. The United Kingdom's receipts from the Community budget, therefore, amounted to £49 million more than our contributions during the first four months of this year. This was largely due to the exceptionally high level of receipts received from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. Figures for total public expenditure are not available for the first four months of 1975.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was Great Britain's net contribution in sterling to the EEC budget from January 1972 to date; and what percentage of Great Britain's total public expenditure this figure represents.

Mr. Joel Barnett

The United Kingdom's net contribution to the Community budget for the two years 1973 and 1974 amounted to £135 million. This represented less than 0.2 per cent. of total public expenditure for these two years.

Mr. Woof

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of the 1975 EEC budget to be spent in the United Kingdom; and what is the amount of expenditure for the functions of various Government Departments.

Mr. Joel Barnett

Information on the amount of the 1975 Community budget to be spent in the United Kingdom is not available, but United Kingdom receipts from the Community budget in 1975 were estimated in the White Paper "Membership of the European Community, Report on Renegotiation" (Cmnd. 6003) to be in the order of £230 million-£240 million, giving a net contribution by the United Kingdom to the Community budget in 1975 of about £65 million-£75 million. Receipts in 1975 are now expected to be higher than the forecast quoted in Cmnd. 6003, giving a net contribution a good deal less than £65 million-£75 million. Most United Kingdom receipts in 1975 will be received by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce. Other Departments receiving money from the Community budget include the Department of Employment in respect of grants from the Social Fund.