20. To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had in the General Affairs Council on means for reducing the size of the EU budget; and if he will make a statement. (282709)

There have been no recent discussions at the General Affairs Council on means for reducing the size of the EU budget. The Commission were mandated by the December 2005 European Council to produce a Budget Review White Paper by the end of 2009. Our contribution to the review was outlined in HM Treasury’s publication, “Global Europe: Vision for a 21st Century Budget.”