Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: PM/Sport Relief, Butler Report and Statistics.
PM/Sport Relief
The Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister was hosting an event at Chequers today in aid of BBC Sport Relief in which he would be taking part in a 1 mile run with local school children. Sir Steven Redgrave, Colin Jackson and Chris Moyles, the Radio 1 DJ, would also be participating. Asked if the Prime Minister had been given the all clear by his doctor to take part in the run, the PMS said the fact that he was doing it showed that there wasn’t a need for anything like that.
Butler Report
Asked again about handling arrangements for the publication of the Butler Report, the PMS said that we would let people know the arrangements at the appropriate time. The Report was not due for another few days and it would therefore be improper to get drawn into a discussion about processology at this stage. Asked if letters would be sent to those who had been criticised in the Report to warn them that they had been censured, the PMS said that that was a matter for the Inquiry team, not Downing Street. Questioned as to whether any member of the Government had received such a letter from the Inquiry, the PMS said that we had been careful from the outset not to comment on the Inquiry’s proceedings. We had no intention of starting today.
Asked when the Prime Minister would receive a copy of the Report, the PMS said that her colleague had dealt with this question yesterday. We had no intention of commenting on any arrangements relating to process. Asked if the Prime Minister continued to have full confidence in John Scarlett as the next head of MI6, the PMS said that Mr Scarlett had already been appointed to that post, so of course the Prime Minister had full confidence in him.
Statistics
Asked Downing Street’s reaction to the recommendation set out in the Statistics Commission’s annual report suggesting the withdrawal of the practice of giving Ministers five days to preview forthcoming statistics because of the fear of political manipulation, the PMS said that she hadn’t seen the report as yet, and was therefore unable to comment in detail on it. That said, in her experience, statisticians were very protective of their data, and therefore the figures that were published were those which had been collated in the first instance.
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