§ Mr. Marlowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there has been any recent change in the definition of net contribution to the EEC budget; and if he will set out the current definition.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThere has been no recent change in the Government's definition. Details of the definition can be found in the public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd 9143), programme 2.2. pages 13, 17 and 18.
§ Mr. Marlowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 3 April, whether the arrangement for relief in respect of EEC contributions would be affected by a supplementary budget in such a way as to increase the United Kingdom's rebated net contribution.
§ Mr. Ian StewartNo scheme for correcting EC budget imbalance has yet been agreed. In principle, a scheme designed to produce a fairer sharing of budget burdens would take account of supplementary budgets.
§ Mr. Marlowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the level of contribution of each of the other member states under the rebate regime envisaged in his answer of 3 April.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe effect on the level of contribution of each of the other member states of the arrangements referred to in my reply of 3 April would depend on economic developments and the parameters of the scheme, including its financing. The latter have still to be negotiated.