June 28, 1984 - MRS MARGARET THATCHER, the Prime Minister, yesterday said that for the foreseeable future Britain would pay lower contributions into the European Economic Community budget than would have been due under existing arrangements.

As she spoke, M Gaston Thorn, president of the European Commission, said that European Community leaders were looking forward to a period of constructive development in the EEC following the historic success of the Fontainebleau summit in removing the poison of the British budget problem. He said that after five years of nearly continuous wrangling Europe could now be put back into working order.