EU Budget (Surcharge) Debate

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Department: HM Treasury
Monday 10th November 2014

(9 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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I welcome my hon. Friend’s support for what has been announced. There was agreement around the table that we should permanently change the EU budget rules. We shall have to consult the European Parliament on that, but it does not have a veto. We should change those rules so that if there is an exceptionally large payment or adjustment in future, as there was this time, member states cannot be bounced with a bill like this. There was strong support around the table for that change.

Frank Roy Portrait Mr Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab)
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On the UK rebate, will the Chancellor give us the name of just one European Finance Minister who changed their mind after listening to him?

George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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As the hon. Gentleman should know, the rebate involves a discussion between member states and the European Commission, which is why we were discussing with the Commission, in parallel, the size of the British rebate. Frankly, any question from Labour Members about the rebate is a bit rich, given that they gave up half of it.