§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Prime Minister what were the reasons for Her Majesty's Government's agreement to the adjustment in the Fontainebleau abatements in the new own resources agreement of the Council; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government's aim was to secure an agreement that left us no worse off than we would have been with the continuation of the Fontainebleau abatement system and the present structure of own resources. We were therefore prepared to accept that the amount of our abatement should be adjusted to take account of the effect on the United Kingdom of the changes in the structure of own resources. The overall 657W effect of these changes is that the Fontainebleau system remains intact, as I told the House on 15 February at column 707.