§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement setting out the basis on which EC contributions are calculated and the payments made on each resource base, in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.
§ Sir John CopeContributions to the European Community budget are determined by the own resources decision—council decision 88/376/EEC, Euratom and the regulations governing the implementation of that decision—council regulations (EEC, Euratom) Nos. 1552/89 and 1553/89. The European Community's own resources comprise agricultural and sugar levies; customs duties; a VAT-based resource; and a GNP-based resource. Estimates of agricultural and sugar levies and of customs duties are entered into the annual EC budget; but payments by member states are made on the basis of amounts actually collected. VAT and GNP resource contributions are based on estimates of VAT and GNP bases and are normally adjusted, to reflect outturn, in the following budgetary year.
The payments made by the United Kingdom for each resource base in 1992–93 were:
£ million Agricultural and Sugar Levies 203 Customs Duties 1,603 VAT-based resource 4,522 GNP-based resource 960 The United Kingdom also received refunds of £312 million in December 1992 in respect of 1991 VAT and GNP contributions. The United Kingdom's abatement totalled £1,993 million.