Do his claims on Norway stand up?

David Cameron says adopting a Norwegian-style semi-detached relationship with the EU would be dangerous. But Eurosceptics dismissed his claims as alarmist:

CLAIM ONE

Norway pays as much per head to the European Union as we do.

Vote Leave, the main group campaigning for exit, says that the UK’s £19.4billion gross annual budget contribution comes to £300 a head, or £150 including our rebate. But, according to figures from Britain Stronger in Europe – the main ‘in’ group – our contribution would be around £115 a head if we adopted the Norway option.

CLAIM TWO

Norway takes in twice as many immigrants, per head, as we do in the United Kingdom.

Norway does take twice as many migrants per head as the United Kingdom, partly because its government has decided to sign up to the European Union’s Schengen border-free area. But ‘out’ campaigners say there is no reason why Britain would have to sign up to this agreement if we left the EU. In any case, Vote Leave says that Norway’s migration policy is determined more by the government in Oslo than by bureaucrats in Brussels – so it has far more scope to lower immigration if it wishes to.

CLAIM THREE

Norway has no seat at the table; no ability to negotiate.

‘In’ campaigners argue that it is better to be part of the EU because at least we have a say over Brussels rules. But Vote Leave said that Britain’s influence at the EU top table is ‘so small that it barely counts’. We have 12 per cent of votes on the council of ministers and every time Britain has voted against an EU proposal since 1996 – that is 72 times – we have been defeated. Although Norway cannot vote, its delegates are based in Brussels and can help shape EU laws. And Oslo has its own voice on bodies such as the World Trade Organisation – unlike Britain, which has EU representation.