EU Budget (Hansard, 21 December 2000)

§ Sir Teddy Taylor
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average net payment to the EU was in each of the last 11 years. [143672]
334W

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
The Government's latest estimated outturn for the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget in 1999–2000 can be found at footnote 1 to Table B17 of the pre-Budget report (Cm 4917) published in November. Details of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget for the period 1988–89 to 1998–99 can be found in departmental reports of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments from 1994 to 2000

§ Sir Teddy Taylor
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the net contributions to the EU in 2001. [143673]

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
Government estimates of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the EC Budget for future years are given on a financial year basis. The Government's latest forecast for 2000–01 and 2001–02 can be found at footnote 1 to Table B17 of the pre-Budget report (Cm 4917) published in November.

§ Sir Teddy Taylor
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the content and purpose of table B20 of the pre-Budget report; [143676]
(2) if he will make a statement on the item on EC contributions in table B20 of the pre-Budget report; and which particular sums are included within the figures quoted. [143675]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
The accounting adjustments set out in table B20 in the pre-Budget report (PBR) reconcile the public spending aggregates used by the Treasury for planning and control purposes with Total Managed Expenditure (TME) and the National Accounts aggregate for total public sector expenditure based on internationally agreed definitions. The purpose of this table is to ensure that this adjustment is clear and transparent.
The line for EC contributions in Table B20 shows those adjustments needed to Net payments to EC institutions to reconcile to TME.

§ Sir Teddy Taylor
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on(a) the Maastricht Deficit referred to in table C of the Budget 2000 publication HC 346 and (b) how he calculated the windfall tax receipts and associated spending. [143674]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
Table B6 in the November 2000 pre-Budget report shows that the Treaty reference level of 3 per cent. of GDP for the general government deficit is achieved comfortably throughout the projection period 2000–01 to 2005–06.
Tables 4.1a and 4.1b of the pre-Budget report give estimates of the allocation of windfall tax receipts from 1997–98 to 2000–01, and how the windfall tax is expected to be used to finance the Employment Opportunities Fund from 2001–02 to 2003–04.