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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William Bain Portrait Mr William Bain (Glasgow North East) (Lab)
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Since the Council meeting on Friday, the Finance Ministers of Ireland, Austria and the Netherlands have all said that the UK will still pay the full amount. Is the Chancellor seriously arguing that they are wrong, and if so, can he point to a single measure that will cut the overall bill for the UK taxpayer over the next two years?

George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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We were presented with a bill for £1.7 billion and we are going to pay about £850 million, so in my book that is a cut.