Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: David Blunkett’s living arrangements/security, Intercepted evidence, Northern Ireland update, EU Emissions and 24 Hour licenses.
David Blunkett’s living arrangements/security
Asked if there was any further information about David Blunkett’s living and security arrangements, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied he could only say what he had told journalists in the morning lobby. People should understand that once one had been Home Secretary, there were certain limitations to what could be said.
Intercepted evidence
Asked if the Government had a view about the admissibility of intercepted evidence being used, for example, phone bugging, the PMOS said this was an issue that was being looked at, but he was not aware that the process had reached completion.
Northern Ireland update
Asked for an update on Northern Ireland, the PMOS said there was nothing to comment on at the moment. He added that Taoiseach was in China at the moment, and the Prime Minister would speak to him when he returned. Paul Murphy and Dermot Ahern were meeting in Dublin today.
EU Emissions
Asked about the Prime Minister’s role with the EU Directive concerning environmental emissions, the PMOS said there was a cost benefit analysis of the European approach being done by the Commission. That work was still ongoing, and what the Government had decided was until there were results from the cost benefit analysis, there was no real point setting targets, as it would be difficult to know whether they were achievable and what their impact on the European economy or what their impact would be. The message from it was to wait until there was enough evidence before making recommendations.
Asked if the Prime Minister was attempting to "dilute" or "downplay", the PMOS said that was not the case at all, but rather that it would be better to wait and see what the results brought instead. It was the same process that the Government went through before we set our targets, and we were trying to bring into sync all the various elements.
Asked why the Prime Minister was waiting to see if the emissions came down, the PMOS replied what was important was not a rhetorical statement, but rather a statement that people felt they could believe in and was achievable. If a target was set that no-one believed was achievable, it was a "fairly meaningless exercise".
24 Hour licenses
Asked if the voluntary levy on drinking tariffs was "as far as it would go", the PMOS said there were discussions happening between the police, Home Office, DCMS and the industry at the moment. He did not want to pre-empt the outcome of the discussions. He emphasised that there were measures contained within the Act that tackled binge drinking. These included expanding police powers to close down disorderly and excessively noisy premises, making it easier for police, residents and others to seek a review of licenses, increased fines, increased penalties for breach of license conditions, and giving local residents a real voice in licensing decisions such as have not been available before. This was about not only flexibility, but also about targeting binge drinking, and as Tessa Jowell had said this morning, the number of people who had applied for a 24-hour license was practically none.
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