Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Sir Alan Budd’s Inquiry, Burglary/Home Intruders, Pakistan, Civil Service Pensions and PM’s Christmas Card.
Sir Alan Budd’s Inquiry
Asked for guidance about when, and in what format Sir Alan Budd’s report would be made public the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that he could not give any information on when and in what format it would come out because these were matters for Sir Alan Budd and since John Gieve had asked for the report it would be a report to him in the first instance. Asked if Sir Alan would also look at the role of civil servants or if he was constrained to looking at the visa matter the PMOS said that Sir Alan Budd would report within his terms of reference. The PMOS said it was a matter for Sir Alan to interrupt his terms of reference and a matter for the Home Office to talk about his terms of reference not for him to. In response to the suggestion that the Prime Minister had said, at his monthly press conference, that if people raised other issues that Sir Alan would look at them the PMOS said that said it was still a matter for Sir Alan.
Asked if the Prime Minister had received a call from David Blunkett who was reportedly ringing round cabinet colleagues and others the PMOS said that in terms of who David Blunkett called that was a matter for him and it was not our policy to brief on conversations between the Prime Minister and his ministers.
Asked if it was the Prime Minister’s intention to allow the Home Secretary to continue with this damaging private case while he still remained Home Secretary the PMOS said that private matters were private matters and legal matters were legal matters. As we had said all along we would distinguish between them and the Home Secretary’s public role.
Asked how the Prime Minister rated the ministerial capabilities of the Foreign Secretary the PMOS said the Prime Minister had expressed his admiration for how the Foreign Secretary did his job on many occasions.
Asked if there was someone who could check with about the timing of the report the PMOS said that the indication that he had had was that it was Sir Alan Budd’s express wish that no one give a running commentary on his inquiry so that he could carry it out it private.
Burglary/Home Intruders
Asked if the Government intended to obstruct the Private Members Bill to allow householders to use all necessary means the PMOS said, as he had said in the morning, people should first of all recognise that the law already allowed the defence of "reasonable force" to be used. However what it did not allow was an "active retaliation". However if there was confusion about that it was obviously an issue that did need to be clarified. There was already a murder review being conducted in the Home Office and no doubt this was an issue that would be considered as part of it. As Lord Falconer had indicated this morning he believed we were talking about an issue of clarification for this process. The Government’s attitude would be dictated by what it believed was a genuine area for concern but as he had said the law already clearly allowed a defence by reasonable force. If that was not clear to people then that was an issue to address.
Asked to clarify his morning remarks when he seemed to say it was not clear in the public’s mind whereas now his remarks this afternoon seemed more consistent with the perspective of Sir John Steven’s remarks that seemed to say it was not clear in the law the PMOS said that in terms of what we were indicating it was that we accepted that there was an issue of clarification and that would be considered as part of the murder review. Asked if the Prime Minister acknowledged that even in cases that were not brought ultimately before the courts the indignity and worry of a police investigation in addition to being a victim of crime was something that people found very upsetting the PMOS said that without getting into individual cases what the Government accepted was that there was an issue of concern that needed to be addressed, but equally that should not be taken as there was no defence in the law as it stood. There was.
Pakistan
Asked if the Prime Minister had mentioned anything about Pakistan’s movements towards democracy the PMOS said that the issue had been discussed and the position was as he had set out earlier today.
Civil Service Pensions
Asked why the Government was considering making huge cuts in Pensions for Civil Servants and Public Sector workers ahead of a general election at a time when they were the people whom the Prime Minister repeatedly said were on the front line delivering the reforms the PMOS that it was best if we waited for the consultation document to be published when we could then have a rational debate. As such it was not sensible to get into these questions in advance of that.
PM’s Christmas Card
Asked if there was anymore information about the Prime Minister’s Christmas Card, for example why there was no Christmas symbolism and how many were sent out the PMOS said that some cards had "Best Wishes for the New Year" some cards had "Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year" and on some of them the Christmas greetings were left out because of the religious symbolism involved. This was standard diplomatic practice followed by all Prime Ministers for the past 20 years.
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