To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the UK's net financial contribution to funding the Common Agricultural Policy in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009 to 2011. (256103)

The United Kingdom makes its contributions to the EC Budget as a whole and not to individual expenditure areas within it. The Government publish forecasts of UK gross, after taking account of the UK abatement, and net contributions to the EC Budget in their annual European Community Finances White Paper. The 2009 White Paper will be published later this year and will include forecasts for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11.