HC Deb 20 April 1999 vol 329 c506W
14. Dr. Stoate

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Berlin European Council. [79958]

Mr. Robin Cook

At Berlin, we won a good deal for Britain.

For the first time, spending on the existing member states has been brought under strict control, with a lower ceiling for spending in the existing member states in 2006 than in 2000.

On agriculture, price cuts were agreed to bring milk, cereals and beef prices closer to world prices. A British family of four will benefit by £65 a year.

We won a good deal for UK regions.

The proportion of the UK living in regions covered by Objective 1 will increase by two-thirds and include for the first time Cornwall, West Wales & the Valleys and South Yorkshire.

And we have preserved the British abatement.

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