Britain to pay 850 million pounds of EU budget bill in two instalments - Osborne

Reuters
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne arrives at a European Union finance ministers meeting in Brussels November 7, 2014. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain will pay 850 million pounds of its surprise extra EU budget bill in two instalments next year, the Chancellor said on Friday. "The bill instead of 1.7 billion pounds will be around 850 million pounds," British Chancellor George Osborne told reporters following a meeting with his EU peers. "The British rebate will apply in full, and in the year in which the payments are made, we will pay two instalments in the second half of next year," he said. (Reporting by Robin Emmott)