Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Press Office Budget and the Prime Minister’s Visit to Libya.
Press Office Budget
Asked to account for the doubling of the Downing Street Press Office budget since 1997, the PMOS said that these figures had to be seen in the context of the increasing demands of a 24-hour media. There had been a very significant increase in media outlets and interest from the foreign press. Obviously Downing Street had to respond to those demands and in doing so endeavoured to be as cost effective as possible. Put to him that despite the increase in outlets the actual amount of information hadn’t changed, the PMOS said that may be the case, but the demand for it was greater. More outlets simply meant more calls to the press office and more staff needed to take those calls. The PMOS said that obviously we aimed to provide an efficient and cost effective service.
Prime Minister’s Visit to Libya
Asked to comment on the timing of the Prime Minister’s visit to Libya, the PMOS referred journalists to the extensive briefing on this already from those on the trip. In particular, he would draw journalists’ attention to what the Deputy Prime Minister had said in the House of Commons today and to what Jim Swire had said as well. There were difficult issues, but as the IAEA had verified, the Libyan regime had, in recent months, taken significant steps towards eliminating WMD programs. If a country was making progress with this and withdrawing its support for terrorism, then it was the Prime Minister’s judgement that that country should be helped on the road to rejoining the international community.
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