Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Hague
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he (a) last met the President of the European Commission and (b) spoke to the President of the European Commission; and whether he discussed Britain’s prospective membership of the euro on either occasion.

Ian Pearson
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Mr. Hague
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on preparations for the possibility of joining the European single currency since 1997.

Ian Pearson
HM Treasury does not hold separate information on the cost of preparations for the possibility of joining the European single currency.