§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what legal right the European Assembly has prevented payment of the United Kingdom's budget rebate.
§ Mr. RifkindUnder article 21 of the financial regulations of 21 December 1977 the European Parliament has the right to approve or reject transfer proposals relating to non-obligatory expenditure within six weeks of the transfers being proposed. In 1978 the Bureau of the European Parliament decided to delegate authority in this matter to the Budgets Committee. In accordance with this authority, the Budgets Committee voted on 12 July to approve the transfer which had been proposed by the Commission on 27 June. The plenary session of the new Parliament on 27 July voted to reverse this decision. I am not in a position to give a definitive view of the legality of the Parliament's unprecedented action in overturning its own procedures.