§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the contribution of an average UK family to the EU budget in 2000. [67796]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
No such estimate has been made. However, based on data published by the European Commission and European Court of Auditors, the UK's net contribution to the EC budget in 2000 was £63.1 on a per capita basis. This figure includes the UK's payments to and receipts from the EC budget, but does not, however, capture other benefits which membership of the EU brings to the UK through closer economic ties with our neighbours. For example, over three quarters of a million UK companies now trade with the rest of the EU, which accounts for over 50 per cent. of the UK's total exports, and affects around 3 million UK jobs.