News Release

26th March 2002

SCANDAL OF EUROPE CALCULATION: WHAT IMPACT ON WEST MIDLANDS SERVICES?

Peter Hain, the Minister for Europe in the Foreign Office, has told Michael Fabricant in a startling series of Parliamentary Written Answers that the Government has never calculated - nor has any future plans to calculate - the amount by which Britain benefits, or suffers, from its membership of the European Union. Michael asked this series of questions following the publication of disturbing analyses by the United States Government, the Institute of Directors, and others that far from creating jobs and enriching Britain, EU Membership is costing billions of pounds each year and holding back job creation. "I don't know if these analyses are correct", says Michael Fabricant "and now it appears the Government doesn't know either! But it is a scandal that not only has the Government not done these calculations for themselves, they have no intention of ever doing them in the future. How much money is being siphoned away from our region?

"We have no idea whether we are losing or benefiting from our membership of the European Union and how much by. But if we are losing out, wouldn't the thousands of million pounds being transferred each year out of Britain into Europe be better spent on improving local policing in Staffordshire and the west midlands, equipping local hospitals - including saving hospital facilities in Burntwood, and improving state pensions for Britain's old folks?

Michael adds "Every so often I check whether I can get better deal with my high street bank by looking elsewhere and working out all the costs. Businesses do the same with their suppliers and partners. Shouldn't the Government follow suit with our membership of the EU? With billions of British taxpayers' pounds at stake, they haven't done so - nor do they have any intention of doing so."