§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Prime Minister whether the latest agreement on the EEC budget meets the requirement that spending under the common agricultural policy should fall as a proportion of the total; and if she will publish in the Official Report a table showing the percentage of the total budget taken by the common agricultural policy each year since 1972, the anticipated figure in the current year, and the forecast for 1985.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Council's agreement on budgetary discipline provides that expenditure relating to agricultural markets, as defined for the purposes of the agreement, will increase by less than the rate of growth of the Community's own resources base.
Expenditure on the common agricultural policy as a percentage of the total Community budget between 1972 and 1984 is as follows. The 1985 budget has not yet been adopted.
Year Percentage 1972 89.0 1973 82.4 1974 75.4 1975 78.1 1976 76.6 1977 74.3 1978 79.2 1979 75.7 1980 73.3 1981 65.4 1982 64.0 1983 68.6 1984 70.3 Sources: 1973–77 EC Court of Auditors Reports. 1978–83 EC Commission Financial Reports and Court of Auditors Reports. 1984 supplementary budget.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Prime Minister whether the decision to set aside more money for spending on the common agriculural policy in 1985 implies an increase in agricultural surpluses; and for what surpluses provision has been made in the 1985 budget compared with 1983.
§ The Prime MinisterNo Community budget has yet been adopted for 1985. Provision is not made in Community budgets for any specific level of surpluses, but some of the expenditure provided for relates to the disposal of surpluses. However, the quantities actually disposed of in any given year will depend upon many factors, including the detailed management of agricultural markets during the year.