§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Government's representatives at the Finance Council of the Economic Community on the first reading of the European budget failed to support the additional money put into the budget for European Music Year.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe Financial Secretary at the time reported the outcome of the Budget Council's first reading of the 1984 budget to the House on 25 July 1983. [Vol. 46, c. 788.] The Budget Council's decision to reduce the amount for European Music Year 1985 in the Commission's preliminary draft budget from 60,000 ecu —about £37,000—to 40,000 ecu—about £24,700—was supported by the UK. The decision took account of the fact that even this figure was 33 per cent. more than the provision in the previous year compared with an increase of 5.8 per cent. for total non-obligatory expenditure over the draft budget as a whole. The Council's figure allowed a necessary further 5.8 per cent. to be reserved for the European Parliament within the declared maximum rate of increase of 11.6 per cent. However, the European Parliament subsequently reinstated the Commission's proposed figure of 60,000 ecu and this is the provision in the 1984 budget as adopted by the European Parliament on 20 December 1983.