§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply of 22 January, Official Report, columns 197–8, if he will list the items of non-obligatory expenditure in the 1986 European Community budget which are disputed by the United Kingdom, detailing the total value in each case; when he expects the European Court to hear the actions brought by the Council and individual member states; if he will seek authority from Parliament for supplementary payments on a monthly basis in the absence of an agreement over the budget; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeThe 1986 budget as adopted by the European Parliament contains some 230 disputed items of non-obligatory expenditure totalling 563 million ecu (£361 million), as follows:444W
The European Court's timetable is uncertain, but my advice is that the substantive cases brought by the Council and individual member states are unlikely to be decided much before the end of 1986. The United Kingdom's application for an interim order suspending implementation of the disputed elements of the budget pending substantive judgment should be heard much more quickly.
Million Payment appropriations ECU £ The European Regional Development Fund 160 103 The European Social Fund 260 167 Food Aid 40 26 Co-operation with Latin American and Asian developing countries 20 13 Other 83 52 TOTAL 563 361 The Special Supplementary Estimate presented to Parliament on 22 January is intended to enable the Government to contribute to the disputed elements in the budget during February and March. The Government hope that the European Court will grant an interim order making further contributions to the disputed elements unnecessary. Failing such an order, the Government will seek any necessary parliamentary authority for further contributions in a 1986–87 Estimate.