HL Deb 25 February 1992 vol 536 cc5-6WA
Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much, net in pounds sterling, each member state of the European Communities contributed to or received from the 1990 Community budget, taking account of all receipts and payments.

Lord Brabazon of Tara

The European Commission do not publish information on member states' net balances in respect of the EC budget. The 1990 Court of Auditors' Report gives information on member states' gross contributions and some 85 per cent. of budgetary receipts, with administration and research, the main items of internal expenditure, excluded. Using this incomplete information member states' net contributions (+) or net receipts (-) in 1990 were as follows:

£ billion
Belgium +0.6
Denmark -0.3
Germany +4.0
Greece -1.8
Spain -1.2
France +1.3
Ireland -1.4
Italy +0.3
Luxembourg 0.0
Netherlands -0.3
Portugal -0.4
United Kingdom +2.4

Notes:

(1) Ecu amounts have been converted to sterling using the annual average exchange rate.

(2) The table gives net contributions and receipts after allowing for the UK's abatement.

(3) Although the table shows Belgium and Italy as net contributors, neither is likely to have been when receipts excluded from the Court of Auditors' Report are taken into account.