Tobacco (Eec Aid)

Mr. Spearing
asked the Secretary of State for Industry what proportion of the £49·2 million paid by the European Agricultural Finance and Guarantee Fund support of tobacco prices was contributed by the United Kingdom ; and what are the expected equivalent sums, respectively, for 1974 and 1975.

Mr. Meacher
The United Kingdom contributes to the Community budget as a whole and not to individual parts of it. The United Kingdom contribution is: 87·78 per cent, in 1973,11·04 per cent, in 1974,13·57 per cent, in 1975.The budget provision for expenditure on tobacco was £58·8 million in 1974 and is estimated at £69·3 million in 1975.