Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Rugby World Cup, President Bush and Margaret Hodge.
Rugby World Cup
Asked if the Prime Minister was intending to travel to Australia on Saturday to attend the Rugby World Cup final, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that pressure of business would unfortunately mean that the Prime Minister would be unable to attend. He had, however, watched the game on Sunday and had thought that England had performed outstandingly and had played extremely professionally. Like everybody else, he was hoping for an English victory in Sydney this weekend. The PMOS added that the DCMS Minister, Richard Caborn, had been at Sunday’s game, but he was unable to say which Minister would be attending the final. Asked if the Prime Minister would be watching the final on television, the PMOS said he had no doubt that he would.
President Bush
Asked for the Prime Minister’s reaction to Ken Livingstone’s characterisation of President Bush, the PMOS said that Mr Livingstone’s views were a matter for Mr Livingstone. The Prime Minister’s views on the President’s visit were well known and was looking forward to his arrival tomorrow.
Asked to explain the official reason for inviting President Bush to visit the UK, the PMOS reminded journalists of the depth of the relationship between the UK and the US. The two countries were extraordinarily close in terms of our social, political, cultural, security and trade ties. It was therefore entirely proper for the President of the US to be received here on a State Visit. Put to him that President Bush had only been President for eighteen months, the PMOS said that the Royal Visits Committee met twice a year to discuss who should be invited. Asked about the Committee, the PMOS said that it was chaired by Michael Jay. Its membership included the Private Secretary to the Queen, the Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales, the Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Head of Protocol for the Foreign Office, the Chief Executive of UK Trade International and another official from the Foreign Office. Any recommendations that were made were then passed on to Ministers.
Asked if the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay would not now be repatriated following President Bush’s comment yesterday that they would be tried by military tribunal, the PMOS said that the position on the detainees had not changed. No decisions had been reached at this stage. We were still in discussions with the US about this matter.
Asked if there had ever been any intention for the President to address Parliament, the PMOS said that as he had pointed out this morning, all sorts of ideas for the itinerary were discussed and explored in the run-up to visits. We tended to focus on those events that were actually happening, rather than those that were not. In answer to further questions, the PMOS said that the President would be making a speech at the Banqueting House on Wednesday to an invited audience. No doubt it would be reported by journalists rather than the ‘Address to Parliament’ that was not taking place.
Margaret Hodge
Asked if the Prime Minister believed that Margaret Hodge was able to continue to be an effective Children’s Minister, the PMOS said that the position on Mrs Hodge had not changed since he was asked about the issue this morning. The Prime Minister continued to have full confidence in her as a Minister given her track record in Government. Asked if the Prime Minister thought that Mrs Hodge had been right to send her letter to the BBC, the PMOS said that Mrs Hodge had issued an apology. The Prime Minister believed that she had done the right thing in apologising. Questioned as to whether there would be any developments today, the PMOS said that journalists should keep in touch with the DfES as discussions were continuing on the legal side.
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