§ Mr. Marlowasked the Prime Minister to what extent under the terms of the Fontainebleau agreement, the 94W United Kingdom abatement of European Economic contributions for the 1985 budget year and beyond is dependent on United Kingdom agreement to supplementary European Economic Community budgets.
§ Mr. LawsonI have been asked to reply.
Under the Fontainebleau agreement, the figure for the United Kingdom's abatement in the main Community budget each year is an estimate of our true entitlement, based on preliminary information about our contributions to and receipts from the Community in the previous year. Because the initial provision is an estimate, it has to be corrected in the light of outturn information. Under the agreed methodology, this correction is done through a supplementary budget. The United Kingdom would judge on their own merits any expenditure proposals the Commission chose to include in such a supplementary.