European Communities (Finance) Bill

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall one of his predecessors as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith), saying about the rebate and enlargement:"““we will benefit from abatement on any new expenditure incurred as a consequence of both enlargement and the ceilings in the existing EU 15… the United Kingdom will benefit very considerably from the application of the abatement to any new expenditure on enlargement.””?—[Official Report, 3 July 2001; Vol. 371, c. 145.]"