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Future EU Finances and Own Resources

The hon. Gentleman, as ever, raises an important—and disturbing—issue that clearly needs to be investigated further. Indeed, it demonstrates some of the difficulties that have to be faced in tackling fraud. The essential problem remains, in that, although the institutions often will the money and the direction in which it should go, they do not always directly supervise how it is spent. Frankly, if it is put into other people’s hands, accountability is not as good as it could, or should, be. We are determined to tackle that issue, and there is much greater recognition than ever before that it requires the co-operative approach that I described earlier.