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European Communities (Finance) Bill

May I correct the Chief Secretary on a point of fact? The EU had only 12 member states at the time of the Fontainebleau agreement, since when we have had several rounds of enlargement and continued with the same rebate mechanism. There was no conditionality based on enlargement to rich or poor countries during that period. The present proposal is a wholly new departure, which flies in the face of the assurance that the then Prime Minister gave the House:"““The UK rebate will remain and we will not negotiate it away. Period.””—[Official Report, 8 June 2005; Vol. 434, c. 1234.]" That is what he said. Why have the Government broken that assurance?