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European Communities (Finance) Bill

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Let us revert to the CAP, which needs reform. That is on the EU agenda, and it throws up anomalies in that some wealthy farmers manage to get even more money. However, it is a tremendous lifeline to many of our small hill farmers in Wales. Many have benefited enormously over the years from EU subsidy, which has enabled them to keep going. Frankly, many would be out of business were it not for that money. It is easy to criticise administration and find one example of something going wrong or being misappropriated. However, we must understand that there can be examples of good and bad practice in all government, whether we are considering Brussels, the UK national Government or local government. It is sometimes easy to overlook the significant benefits that we have enjoyed from EU membership, such as opportunities for Japanese electronics companies, for example, to invest in this country and to be part of the market, economy and purchasing power that is Europe. When we consider financial gain, we must therefore take into account more than the single sum of money that is being pushed one way or another in any specific budget.