§ Mr. Leightonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the European Economic Community Council of Ministers will next discuss the future of the European Economic Community budget.
§ Mr. Jayasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals the Government are making to reduce the cost to the United Kingdom of EEC membership.
§ Mr. LawsonAs my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reported to the House on 26 June, she took the opportunity of the European Council in Strasbourg on 21–22 June to stress to her Community colleagues her view that the United Kingdom's present and prospective net contribution to the EEC budget is quite un-208W justly high. The European Commission now has instructions to examine the matter and to make proposals for solving the problem. The European Council has asked that these proposals should be available in good time for it to take decisions at its next meeting in November.
This is very good progress. I hope that the Commission will have got far enough with its work for Finance Ministers to have a worthwhile discussion at their September Council. It will be for the Commission to propose practical remedies. But the Government will continue to make it clear that we need rapid and lasting corrective action.
§ 53. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the full effect when the transitional arrangements of British involvement in the EEC end in 1980.
§ Mr. LawsonThe only transitional arrangements still applying to the United Kingdom are those laid down in articles 129 to 132 of the Treaty of Accession in respect of our contribution to the Community budget. We have received partial refunds amounting to £326 million, in respect of our gross full own resources contribution to the 1978 budget; refunds for 1979, the final year covered by the transitional arrangements, are expected to be something more than £250 million.