§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his projection is of the percentage of gross domestic product the UK will pay to the European Union budget under the post-2006 financial settlement. [188798]
§ Mr. TimmsThe new Financial Perspective for the period from January 2007 will not be agreed by member states before next year. The Government's latest forecast of UK net contributions to the EC Budget, which covers the period to 2007–08, was included in a footnote to Table A1 of the Statistical Annex to the 2004 Spending Review (Cm 6237) published on 12 July 2004. This forecast is used for public expenditure planning purposes and assumes an appropriately uprated roll forward of the status quo. It is without prejudice to the Government's assessment of the likely outcome of the negotiations on the new financial perspective.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards an IMF programme for Iraq. [188347]
§ John HealeyThe Iraqi authorities are currently engaged in regular and ongoing discussions with the IMF on a possible programme for Iraq.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to assist economic reform in Iraq. [188348]
§ John HealeyThe UK aims to support economic reform in Iraq in the short term by working towards rapid agreement on an IMF programme, and by securing agreement in the Paris Club to write off the vast majority of Iraq's foreign debt by the end of the year. The UK will continue to support the efforts of the Iraqi authorities to develop a sustainable, stable and appropriate fiscal and monetary framework for Iraq, and to develop and implement policies to achieve and sustain rapid growth, high employment and poverty reduction.