§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the annual(a) gross and (b) net contributions to the European Community made by the United Kingdom since 1973. [157398]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 6 April 2001]: Details of the United Kingdom's gross contributions, abatement, public sector receipts and net contributions for the period 1973–74 to 1998–99 can be obtained from various Departmental Reports of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments or, previously, Government Expenditure Plans.
The net contribution figure for 1999–2000, and the Government's latest estimate for 2000–01, can be found at footnote 2 to Table C11 of the Budget 2001 (HC 279) published in March. Details of these two figures, ie gross contribution, abatement and public sector receipts, will be included in this year's Departmental Report of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments.