EU Financial Management

I thank the hon. Gentleman for an important point, and indeed a point so powerful that it has provoked the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) to leave the Chamber. I would welcome a clear answer to his question when the Minister replies. In sum, do the Government expect 100 per cent. DAS by 2009, and what will happen if they do not get that? The Minister’s explanatory memorandum, which is reproduced by the Scrutiny Committee at page 11 of our bundle, reports progress in the following terms:"““the financial management of around 35 per cent of the total 2004 budget is now assured by the ECA, as opposed to only 6 per cent of the budget (just administration) of the 2003 budget. This is a dramatic improvement, for which the Commission and the Member States should take credit.””" I accept that in purely numerical terms 35 per cent. is better than just 6 per cent., but is the Minister saying he is happy with a situation in which some two thirds of the EU’s accounts are not satisfactorily signed off?