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Ethnic Population

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the UK population is from an ethnic minority. [39791]

John Healey: The information requested is the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 January 2006:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the UK population is from an ethnic minority. (39791)

The 2001 Census recorded 4.635 million people in the United Kingdom as belonging to an ethnic minority group. They accounted for 7.9 per cent. of the UK population. The ethnic minority population is defined here as all people from a Non-White group and excludes the White Irish and Other White ethnic group categories.

EU Budget

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the changes to the UK's annual net contributions to the EU arising from the European Council's recent budget decisions in terms of (a) increased contributions arising from enlargement, (b) reduction of the UK rebate and (c) other factors; and what assessment he has made of how increased contributions will be funded. [39452]

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on Government borrowing of the revised UK rebate from the EU; [40454]

(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the recently agreed deal on the UK's EU rebate on (a) Budget proposals and (b) Treasury forecasts as set out in the pre-Budget report. [40455]

 
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Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the answer given to my right hon. Friend the Member for West Dunbartonshire (Mr. McFall) on 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2796W.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department had with other ministerial colleagues before the UK made its proposals for the EU budget settlement. [40044]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Treasury worked closely with the Foreign Office, Cabinet Office, the UK permanent representation in Brussels and other Government Departments on the EU Budget dossier, both during the UK presidency of the EU and beforehand. This included ministerial discussions.

Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's (a) gross contribution, (b) net contribution and (c) rebate has been in each year since the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community (i) in cash terms and (ii) in inflation-adjusted real terms. [40539]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: UK gross contributions, abatement and net contributions for the period 1973–74 to 2004–05 in both cash terms and at constant 2004–05 prices are set out in the following tables.
UK gross contributions, abatement and net contributions to the EC Budget

(£ million)
	Gross contribution	Abatement	Net contribution
1973–74	200	—	96
1974–75	197	—	-35
1975–76	370	—	16
1976–77	544	—	224
1977–78	941	—	559
1978–79	1,323	—	768
1979–80	1,665	—	884
1980–81	1,900	—	233
1981–82	2,330	—	225
1982–83	2,820	—	737
1983–84	3,097	—	961
1984–85	3,614	—	1,133
1985–86	3,745	-823	992
1986–87	5,121	-1,343	1,221
1987–88	4,906	-1,137	1,811
1988–89	5,167	-1,600	1,167
1989–90	5,804	-1,317	2,452
1990–91	6,411	-1,838	2,185
1991–92	6,129	-2,428	943
1992–93	6,970	-1,993	2,168
1993–94	8,407	-2,350	2,192
1994–95	6,892	-1,648	1,641
1995–96	9,211	-1,576	3,852
1996–97	9,278	-2,418	2,293
1997–98	8,603	-1,563	2,567
1998–99	10,507	-2,447	4,111
1999–2000	9,207	-2,206	3,325
2000–01	10.640	-2,223	4,318
2001–02	9,213	-4,427	1,477
2002–03	9,737	-3,233	3,080
2003–04	11,371	-3,874	3,264
2004–05	12,183	-3,722	3,909

Source:
All figures up to 1995–1996 are taken from Departmental Reports of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments or, prior to 1992, Government Expenditure Plans. Figures for 1996–97 to 2004–05 taken from annual European Community Finances" White Papers.





 
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UK gross contributions, abatement and net contributions , to the EC Budget—2004–05 prices

£ million
	Gross contribution	Abatement	Net contribution
1973–74	1,540	—	739
1974–75	1,286	—	-229
1975–76	1,939	—	84
1976–77	2,473	—	1,018
1977–78	3,752	—	2,229
1978–79	4,870	—	2,827
1979–80	5,293	—	2,810
1980–81	5,193	—	637
1981–82	5,712	—	552
1982–83	6,456	—	1,687
1983–84	6,774	—	2,102
1984–85	7,525	—	2,359
1985–86	7,361	-1,618	1,950
1986–87	9,755	-2,558	2,326
1987–88	8,987	-2,083	3,317
1988–89	8,929	-2,765	2,017
1989–90	9,304	-2,111	3,931
1990–91	9,369	-2,686	3,193
1991–92	8,551	-3,388	1,316
1992–93	9,428	-2,696	2,932
1993–94	11,180	-3,126	2,915
1994–95	8,921	-2,134	2,124
1995–96	11,548	-1,976	4,829
1996–97	11,356	-2,960	2,807
1997–98	10,192	-1,851	3,042
1998–99	12,072	-2,811	4,723
1999–2000	10,414	-2,495	3,761
2000–01	11,685	-2,441	4,743
2001–02	9,969	-4,790	1,598
2002–03	10,321	-3,427	3,265
2003–04	11,724	-3,995	3,366
2004–05	12,183	-3,722	3,909

Source:
1973–74 to 2004–05 cash figures converted to constant 2004–05 prices.





 
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EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee for the implementation of the Regulation establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession and (b) Economic Policy Committee: working party and reduced compositions have taken place during the UK Presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [38775]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Committee for the Implementation of the Regulation establishing an Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession met once during the UK Presidency of the EU. The meeting was chaired by the European Commission. The UK Government was represented by officials from the Department for International Development and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union, Brussels.

The Economic Policy Committee (EPC) met formally five times during the UK Presidency of the EU. The various working groups and reduced compositions of the EPC met 15 times over the same period. These meetings were chaired by designated members of the EPC. Treasury officials represent the United Kingdom.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: anti-fraud (SCAF), (b) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: training (SCAT), (c) Committee on administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation, including the Fiscalis programme: information technology (SCIT) and (d) Committee on excise duties have taken place during the UK Presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; what other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [38804]

Dawn Primarolo: During the period of the UK's Presidency of the EU from 1 July to 31 December 2005 the Standing Committee on Administrative Co-operation (SCAC) met on 12 July and 9 December, its IT sub-Committee (SCIT) met on 20 July and 25 November, and the Excise Committee on 25 November. There were no meetings of the Fiscalis Committee. A European Commission DG TAXUD official chaired each of the meetings and in accordance with long standing arrangements, UK representation was provided by a designated official from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Slovenia, (b) Customs Cooperation Committee (EEC-Turkey), (c) Customs Cooperation Committee-EEC-Andorra, (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Romania and (e) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee-EEC-Russia have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting;
 
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which other UK representatives were present; what provision was made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [39026]

Dawn Primarolo: None of the Committees and Sub-committees concerned met during the UK presidency.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings of the EU (a) EEC-European Free Trade Association Joint Committee (and working parties), (b) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee— EEC-Canada, (c) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-Korea and (d) Customs Cooperation Sub-committee—EEC-United States of America have taken place during the UK presidency of the EU; who presided over each meeting; which other UK representatives were present; what provisions were made for representation of the devolved governments; and if he will make a statement. [39028]

Dawn Primarolo: There have been three meetings of the EEC-European Free Trade Association Joint Committee (and working parties) during the UK presidency. The Commission chaired all these meetings and the UK representatives were from HMRC. Customs matters are a reserved matter for HMG and are not within the competence of the devolved governments.

There have been no meetings of the Customs Cooperation Committee EC-Canada during the UK presidency.

There have been no meetings of the Customs Cooperation Committee EC-Korea during the UK presidency.

There have been no meetings of the Customs Cooperation Committee EC-US during the UK presidency.

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