§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the gross contribution, before any rebates or refunds, which the United Kingdom will be required to make to the European Economic Community in respect of 1987; and what estimate he has made of the gross contribution under the proposals now made by the European Economic Community Commission for contributions by member states related to gross domestic product and value added tax had been in force.
§ Mr. Brooke[holding answer 3 November 1987]:Estimates of the United Kingdom's gross contribution before abatement to the 1987 Community budget, both under the current financing system and under the Commission's proposals for a new structure of own resources, are contained in table 10 of the Commission's report COM(87)101. These show a gross contribution of 6,660 mecu (£4,883 million at the exchange rates assumed by the Commission) under the present system, and 6,354 mecu (£4,658 million) which would have been paid under the new proposals. The estimates do not take account of the 1987 supplementary and amending budget, but the relative effects of the two financing systems are not significantly affected by this.