To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the EU budget UK contributions will comprise in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010. (243025)

Chart 2.3 (page 17) of the 2008 European Community Finances White Paper (Cm 7462) shows the respective member states’ percentage shares of financing the 2008 EC Budget. The equivalent shares for the 2009 and 2010 EC Budgets will be included in the 2009 and 2010 White Papers respectively.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of trends in exchange rates on the UK’s contribution to the EU budget. (243027)

Exchange rate assumptions are just one of a number of factors which are taken into account, and which inter-relate with each other, in putting together each forecast of UK contributions to the EC Budget. Figures for UK net contributions to the EC Budget are published twice each year in the Budget and the pre-Budget report (PBR) and latest estimates of these for the period 2007-08 to 2010-11 were included in Table B16 (page 210) of the PBR (Cm 7484) published on 24 November 2008.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to mitigate the possible effects of foreign exchange movements on the level of the UK’s financial contribution to the EU; and if he will make a statement. (243028)

UK in-year contributions are not affected by exchange rate movements because contributions are made using a fixed exchange rate that is set on the last working day of the previous year.