So how much more are we going to be paying?

On January 20 Lord Stoddart's Written Question [scroll right down]

To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect a 6 per cent increase in the European Union budget for 2010 will have on the gross contribution of the United Kingdom to that budget.

was answered by HMG.

Under the 2009 Adopted EC Budget, UK Own Resources payments were set at £10,879 million. Under the 2010 Adopted EC Budget UK contributions were calculated at £11,735 million.

A key driver for the size of the 2010 budget is the financing of the European economic recovery plan, as well as additional support from structural and cohesion funds for the new member states, many of whom have been hit hardest by the economic downturn. The overall budget increase is also partially driven by the expected acceleration in the delivery of those funds across the EU.

That comes to £856 million more, unless my maths is completely wonky. Why we should be handing more money over to the EU in the hopes of it creating an economic recovery or because that money might be delivered to other wasteful organizations faster is not entirely clear. Then again, compared the amount the government has wasted over the last few years, this is pitifully small.