Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Amir of Qatar, PMQs, Police Reforms, Wilson Doctrine, Education White Paper, Iran, Afghanistan and Reshuffle
Amir of Qatar
Asked if the subject of Al Jazeera would come up, the Prime Minister Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that it was entirely for the Amir to decide.
PMQs
Asked if the Prime Minister liked the new approach PMQ’s, as opposed to the non Punch and Judy version, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister would answer in his own way whatever questions were put to him in whatever style they came.
Police Reforms
Asked about David Cameron’s suggestion that the Home Secretary had said one thing and the Prime Minister expressed his preferred options differently, such as the one at his press conference on Monday on the idea of forces combining over certain things, the PMOS said that Hazel Blears had dealt with this elsewhere this afternoon.
She had said, quite rightly, that in different areas different approaches would fit the circumstances. It was important that we bore in mind what this was for, which was to answer the critique set out in the HMIC report. The Prime Minister had detailed that and the need to be locally accountable as well as to be effective against organised crime and terrorism. This was the balance that needed to be struck. We were in the middle of a process of getting views and we should wait to see what came out of it.
Wilson Doctrine
Asked if there was a timetable for the report, the PMOS said no. It would be whenever the Interception Commissioner, Sir Swinton Thomas, had actually had a chance to talk to people. It would go at his pace. Asked if the Prime Minister was open minded and waiting to be persuaded, the PMOS said that first and foremost, there had been erroneous reports that the Prime Minister, following 7/7, had initiated this. That was not the case. This was a result of an initiative taken by Sir Swinton Thomas and therefore it was important that we went at the pace set by Sir Swinton.
Put to him that it was for the PM to make recommendations and to consult colleagues, the PMOS said that was correct but an important part of that was for Sir Swinton to set out his case. We were still in the middle of that process.
Education White Paper
Asked whether the Prime Minister expected the Education Bill to reflect David Cameron’s comments, the PMOS said that the education bill would reflect what it reflected. The Prime Minister had been setting out a response to specific questions put to him by the Leader of the Opposition and he had replied in the affirmative.
Iran
Asked if the Prime Minister had seen the comments by the Iranian Foreign Minister blaming Britain for the bombings, the PMOS said that he was not sure the Prime Minister had seen them, but either way he did not think they were worthy of a response.
Afghanistan
Asked whether the Defence Secretary would be appearing in the House of Commons again tomorrow to say that a decision had now been taken, the PMOS said first and foremost a decision needed to be taken. Then we would see what John Reid had to say.
Asked if that decision would come up at Cabinet, the PMOS acknowledged that there was a Cabinet meeting tomorrow. Put to him that all this had been summed up in the Independent a fortnight ago, the PMOS said that he was not responsible for the Independent. He had many ambitions but that was not one of them.
Reshuffle
Asked if everyone had given up on a reshuffle, the PMOS said he could not speak for them but he remained optimistic. Asked if it was a money saving measure, the PMOS suggested that the Guardian could put whatever positive spin on it that it wanted.
delicious
digg
facebook
