£6.5billion..? That'll do nicely, thank EU...

During the European Elections, you may have heard UKIP talking about how much we - the British taxpayer - have to stump up to pay for membership of the European Union.

UKIP electioneering or fact?

Well, let's look no further than Hansard which reveals that, on Tuesday, The Economic Secretary to the Treasury confirmed in Parliament that the net cost of membership to the British taxpayer is a colossal £6.5billion. For one year.

Don't take our word for it.

Here's the link:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090714/debtext/90714-0003.htm#09071451000030

And here's the text:

Net Contribution to the EU

Mr. Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): What is his most recent estimate of the UK’s net contribution to the EU in 2010-11. [286204]

The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ian Pearson): As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Government’s latest forecast of UK net contributions to the European Community budget was published in table C9 on page 238 of the 2009 Budget Red Book. I can tell him, however, that the forecast is for a net contribution of £6.5 billion in 2010-11.

Mr. Bone: I am grateful to the Minister for his reply, but he forgot to mention that the UK’s contribution is £3.5 billion—117 per cent.—more than it was last year. We could buy 70 more Chinook helicopters for that. Does the Minister believe that the British people would rather see billions of pounds given to European farmers or spent on extra helicopters to support the brave servicemen and women who are fighting in Afghanistan?

Ian Pearson: As the hon. Gentleman well knows, our contributions to the EC budget have been set as a result of negotiations. He will be aware of the negotiations that took place in 2005. Only recently, he had an exchange with the Prime Minister in which the Prime Minister made clear our belief that it is right for us to share the burden of membership of the European Union with the new accession countries so that every part of the European Union can look forward to prosperity in the future. As the hon. Gentleman knows very well, that remains our position.

Dr. William McCrea (South Antrim) (DUP): Does the Minister accept, at a time of recession, the importance of spending as much of our money as possible in the United Kingdom rather than feeding the bottomless pit of the EU?

Ian Pearson: It is easy to engage in Euro-bashing, but the simple fact is that the UK Government have been trying to recognise the contributions that we are required to make to the European Community budget, while at the same time ensuring that we negotiate hard, which we were doing on Friday in Brussels and we will continue to do until we agree the budget in November this year for 2010. At the same time, we ensure rigorous value for money, and the UK will continue to press strongly on that, as we always do.