LONDON - Britain could pay in to some EU programs after Brexit but the government will take back control of its own money and will no longer spend large amounts in Brussels, Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday.
Businesses, investors and opposition lawmakers are clamoring for clarity on the government's negotiating position before it triggers the formal exit procedure from the European Union by the end of March.
Last week, Brexit minister David Davis said Britain could pay into the EU budget to get access to the bloc's single market of 500 million customers, easing fears that the government is heading for a "hard Brexit" involving a clean break with the bloc.
But Johnson, speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr television program, declined to confirm whether that was a priority for the government, saying ministers were considering several options.
"I've always thought that there were aspects of EU cooperation ... where actually ... to be part of that in the future might be a good idea, certainly would be a good idea if it involved paying in," Johnson said, referring to the Erasmus student exchange program and Horizon program for research.

"(Paying in for single market access) is obviously something that David Davis is considering. That doesn't mean that a decision has been taken." (Reuters)