§ Mr. GorstTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government have paid during each of the past five years towards the running of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Justice; to which other international judicial or quasi-judicial organisations the Government contribute, and how much has been paid to each of them towards their running costs in each of the past five years.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe information is as follows:
European Commission and Court of Human Rights
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1984 FF 1,336 million For these years remuneration of staff was apportioned separately 1985 FF 1,452 million 1986 FF 1,834 million 1987 FF 5,400 million Including staff remuneration 1988 FF 6,670 million 19891 FF 7,248 million 1 Estimated. In April 1986 we agreed to the construction of a new human rights building in Strasbourg to house the Commission and Court of Human Rights. Ministers subsequently set the total expenditure at FF 240 million at October 1987 prices of which our share will be 15.42 per cent.
International Court of Justice
Our contribution is paid every two years:
- For 1984–85 US$445,642
- For 1986–87 US$558,200
- For 1988–89 US$535,188
European Court of Justice (ECJ)
Our contribution towards the cost of running the ECJ is included in our contribution to the Community budget. Figures detailing ECJ running costs for the past four years are shown in the statement on the 1988 Community budget presented to Parliament by the Paymaster General, Cm 525. Similar figures for fifth year are available from last year's statement, Cm 194. Both Cm documents are in the Library of the House.
Other International Judicial or Quasi-Judicial organizations
There are a number of these organisations, for example, the permanent court of arbitration, to which we contribute£5,000-£6,000 per annum, but details of our contributions to them could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. GorstTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what was the date of the last occasion on which Her Majesty's Government increased the British contribution towards the running costs of the European Commission, and Court of Human Rights; what the value of that increase was; what proportion of the total European Court of Human Rights budget that increase represented; whether he considers that any further increases are necessary; to what purposes additional increases should be directed; and at what regular intervals the Government review the level of their contribution to the European Court of Human Rights.
§ Mrs. ChalkerOur contribution to the running costs of these two organisations was increased on 3 December 1987, when the 1988 Council of Europe budget, which includes the costs of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights, was adopted. The increase to these two organisations was approximately FF 8 million of which we paid 16..71 per cent.—our share of the Council of Europe's budget. Of this sum FF 3.6 million was apportioned to the European Court of Human Rights. In agreeing this increase of approximately 25 per cent. on 1987 costs we were given an undertaking by the presidents of the court and the Commission that these bodies now had the staff and resources they needed to cope with their increased workload and would not seek further additional staff and resources for the next two years. We review our contribution to the European Court of Human Rights annually when its budget is discussed.