EU: UK Contribution

Lord Hannay of Chiswick Excerpts

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, the first thing that we sought to do on the European budget was to ensure that it was not increasing in real terms. As the noble Lord knows, the agreement made by the Prime Minister at the European Council in February will result in €80 billion less expenditure over the next budgetary period than the Commission proposed. The first step in getting the budget dealt with appropriately was to cap it.

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick (CB)]

Could the Minister say how many nuclear power stations the Government could have built with the rebates that we have received since 1975 under Mrs Thatcher’s arrangements?

[Lord Newby]

No, I could not.