§ Mr. TimmsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government intends to pursue the four challenges made by the United Kingdom in the European Court of Justice to spending without a legal base by the European Commission. [14576]
§ Mrs LiddellThe Government has decided to continue with the four cases currently before the European Court of Justice. These cover expenditure on social exclusion projects, for both the 1995 and 1996 budget years; and, for the 1996 budget year, measures in favour of older people and the "pilot action" for a European Voluntary Service.
I should like to make it clear that in choosing to retain these challenges the Government is seeking to uphold an important matter of budgetary principle. We believe that it is essential for the proper and effective control of public expenditure that the European Commission should be bound by the same rules of propriety that apply elsewhere in the EU.
At the same time, I am anxious to stress that this decision in no way reflects our views on the policy content of the challenged measures nor calls into question the Government's commitment to Community action in the social field where this is agreed by the Council. Our support for the new treaty provisions agreed at Amsterdam, which allow the Council to adopt small spending programmes on employment and social exclusion by QMV, is evidence of this.