§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)My honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
18WSThe Statement on the 2004 Budget of the European Communities (EC Budget), entitled European Community Finances (Cm 6134), has today been laid before Parliament. This White Paper is the 24th in the series. As in the past, it covers annual budgetary matters and includes details of recent developments in European Community financial management arid in countering fraud against the EC Budget. It also describes the EC Budget for 2004 as adopted by the European Parliament, and details the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions to the EC Budget for calendar years 1998 to 2004 and financial years 1998–99 to 2005–06.