That's the way the money goes ...

In response to a Written Question by Lord Pearson of Rannoch about the various funds contributed by HMG on our behalf and with our money (so kind of them) to various transnational organization, this reply was published:

The United Kingdom's interests are represented through its membership in various international institutions and fora. Information regarding the UK's financial relationship with a particular institution is a matter for the relevant government department.

The Government's latest estimate of the UK's gross contribution to the European Union, after taking account of the UK abatement, was published in Table 3, page 62, of the 2009 European Community Finances White Paper (Cm 7640). This was published on 20 July 2009 and is available in the Library of the House. The figure for 2008 is £7,791 million and the estimate for 2009 is £7,770 million.

Information on UK financial contributions to the IMF is available on a net basis for 2008-09 in the Government's latest report to Parliament on the UK and the IMF, published in June 2009. Quota subscriptions determine the amount a member country can be asked to lend to the IMF. The UK's net contribution under its quota subscription was £1,134 million in 2008-09. The UK also provided £624,000 in grants in 2008-09 to support the IMF's work in low-income countries.

Information for the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are matters for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The relevant information is available in the FCO's annual report. The most recent annual report shows that for 2009-10 the FCO's budgeted provision for the Commonwealth Secretariat was £4.6 million, for the UN regular budget was £75.6 million and for the OECD was £12.5 million.

Information on the World Trade Organisation is a matter for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. The WTO subscription for the calendar year 2009 was £6,061,004 (Swiss Francs 9,652,149) paid on 26 January 2009.

Information on the World Bank is a matter for the Department for International Development. Data on UK financial contributions to the World Bank are available for 2008-09 in Statistics on International Development 2009 on the DfID website. In 2008-09 the UK contributed £524.8 million to the International Development Association and £49.8million for multilateral debt relief contributions to the World Bank. In addition, the UK contributed £595 million to trust funds which are administered by the World Bank.

And pop goes the weasel or, in this case, the country.