Nick Peters
Prime Minister, the Community still owes us a great deal of money. About £450 million rebate for 1983. Are we going to get that by the deadline you've set of March 31st?
Mrs. Thatcher
I'm afraid not because the Foreign Ministers who had to pass a regulation to enable that money to come back to London. Met just after the concil tonight and France and Italy blocked the refund. So we shall not get it by 31st March I'm afraid.
N. Peters
What are you going to do when you don't get it?
Mrs. Thatcher
Well we have to consider that in Cabinet on Thursday morning. We would say that by custom it should come to London by 31st March, I think the Community would say, well, by custom it should but it's not a strict legal dealine and I think technically they might (withhold) it a little bit longer.
N. Peters
Does that mean you're going to withhold your contribution?
Mrs. Thatcher
That's a possibility we must consider. Undoubtedly it's an embarrassment for us to be lacking this £540 million, which we counted on having in this year's budget.
N. Peters
Embarrassment and possibly divisive?
Mrs. Thatcher
Divisive somehow isn't quite the word I would have chosen, but you know you negotiate these things in gold faith and you expect them to stick by their word. It's a little bit disturbing that they've blocked the refund.
N. Peters
Thank you.