EU Budget (Hansard, 2 November 1998)

§ Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main items of income and expenditure of the general budget of the European Community and the contributions and receipts of the United Kingdom, for each year since 1973 calculated at 1996 prices. [57458]

§ Ms Hewitt
This information can be found in various readily available published sources. The main items of income and expenditure of the general budget of the European Community can be found in the Overview to the 1999 EC Preliminary Draft Budget (SEC)98 800. Information on the United Kingdom's gross contributions, abatement and public sector receipts for the period 1986–87 to 1997–98 can be found in Departmental Reports of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments from 1992 to 1998. Information relating to the years 1985–86 back to 1973–74 can be found in "The Government's Expenditure Plans" from 1979 to 1991. Copies of all these documents are available in the House of Commons Library. An updated list of GDP deflators will be placed in the House of Commons Library, enabling comparison in 1996 prices.

§ Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy towards future negotiations relating to the British rebate from the EU. [57415]

§ Ms Hewitt
The Commission's Own Resources report (7 October 1998) noteseven after the rebate, the UK remains a larger net contributor to the EU budget than Member States with a higher capacity to pay".
Against this background the Government are satisfied that the UK abatement remains fully justified. As the Prime Minister told the House on 17 June 1998, Official Report, column 368, we shall maintain the United Kingdom budget rebate".