---

European Communities (Finance) Bill

I entirely agree. The benefits of the decision that the European Union has taken on helping those economies to grow will have real dividends for this country for many decades to come, following this debate. I want to respond to a couple of the other points that were raised in the debate. The right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) made a few rather cruel sideswipes about my financial acumen that I felt were a tad unjust. He questioned whether I had understood the maths relating to a 22 per cent. increase in the overall European budget in 1994. I assure him that I can understand that the budget was significantly smaller when that decision was taken. I accept that; I understand it. Let us put that point beyond doubt and on the record. The right hon. Gentleman watches and questions public spending in great detail. I read his blog, and I see what he says. Would he ever feel comfortable with a 22 per cent. increase in any public sector budget? That is not the sort of thing that he would normally advocate. My maths are pretty okay, actually, and I want to ask him whether he can recall whether Britain's net contributions in that period went up by a similar order. Was there not a significant increase, albeit on a smaller base, for Britain? Was not there a significant percentage increase in Britain's net contributions? [Interruption.] He says that he does not know. Perhaps I can help him. The percentage increase in our contributions from 1994 to 1999 was an increase in gross costs to the UK of—wait for it—73.4 per cent. There is a bit of a difference, really. Okay, they were different times, and it was a smaller European Union and a smaller budget, but let us get some facts on the record. Let us have some long memories in this debate, rather than a few short ones.