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Future EU Finances and Own Resources

Does my right hon. Friend accept the figuresfor the five complete years between 2000 and 2004, which show that Britain’s net contribution to European institutions was some £4.6 billion a year, and that, in the seven years of this deal, the contribution will be some £10.6 billion? Is that not a very substantial rise, and is he happy that the budget’s make-up reflects the EU’s priorities? In most areas of life and inmost organisations in societies and economies, large budgets are shaped to reflect the priorities of such organisations. However, this is still substantially an agricultural budget, is it not?