HC Deb 15 November 1988 vol 140 c575W
Mr. Ralph Howell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total public expenditure on the EC in pounds sterling of(a) all member states and (b) the United Kingdom (i) as a percentage of total public expenditure and (ii) as a percentage of gross domestic product for 1973 and each subsequent year.

Mr. Major

United Kingdom expenditure on the EC is measured as net payments to European Community institutions. Comparable information for the other member states is not available. The table compares the United Kingdom's own resources payments (after abatement) with the total of own resources payments for all EC member states, as a percentage of GDP and of the current and capital expenditure of general Government on EC definitions. Information covering years before 1981 is not readily available.

Own Resources Payments (after abatement)
As percentage of GDP As percentage of expenditure by general government
UK EC (EC10) UK EC (EC9)
1981 0.8 0.8 2.0 1.7
1982 1.0 0.9 2.5 1.8
1983 1.0 0.9 2.4 1.9
1984 1.0 0.9 2.3 1.9
1985 0.9 0.8 2.1 1.8
1986 0.9 0.9

Note: EC10 excludes Spain and Portugal, EC9 also excludes Greece.

Source: Eurostat Review, 1988.