Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: Further Reshuffle Appointments, Ruth Kelly, Transition, Deputy Prime Minister, Lebanon and Third Foreign Policy Speech
Further Reshuffle Appointments
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) announced that the Queen had been pleased to approve that Baroness Ashton be sworn into the Privy Council. She would remain at the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Lord Rooker would move from Northern Ireland to the Departmental for Environment and Rural Affairs as Minister of State. He would however continue to speak on Northern Ireland in the House of Lords. David Cairns currently, Parliamentary Under Secretary in Scotland, would become joint Parliamentary Under Secretary for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Ruth Kelly
Asked whether Ruth Kelly’s comments on protecting private housing space had the full backing of Downing Street, the PMOS said that there was always a balance to be struck between proper planning procedures and the need to ensure development. It was worth looking at the reasons why we needed 200 000 new homes. It was primarily because of a change in demographics not migration. Migration only counted for 18% of the total. The change in demographics was accounted for by a growth in the number of elderly, separated people and the growth in single people who wanted to live on their own. Asked about her refusal to say whether she thought homosexuality was a sin and her refusal to comment on whether same sex couples should be allowed to adopt and that she would continue to vote with her conscience, the PMOS said that what had been left out of that was that she had repeatedly said that she not only recognised but supported decisions taken by the government in this area. She had also repeatedly said that she was totally opposed to discrimination on any grounds whatsoever. Ruth Kelly had also pointed out that she very much pushed the equality agenda when at the Cabinet Office.
Transition
Asked about the Prime Minister’s talks with senior allies about the transition, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had, himself, said yesterday that he would be getting on with the business of government and this was what he was doing. As such he, the PMOS, had nothing further to add. Asked if it was wrong to suggest he would be speaking with senior colleagues, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister spoke with senior colleagues all the time and he did not brief on such conversations. The Prime Minister’s primary focus would remain on getting on with the job he was elected to do.
Deputy Prime Minister
Asked if there were any further details on how the Deputy Prime Minister would answer questions in the House of Commons, the PMOS said, as he had in the morning briefing, that because of the creation of two new departments there needed to be a new rota of parliamentary questions. That was currently being looked and the John Prescott would answer questions as the DPM as part of that new arrangement. The Deputy Prime Minister would be accountable to Parliament and answer questions in the House but details were still being worked out.
Lebanon
Asked what had been discussed, the PMOS said they had discussed the National Dialogue on Lebanon, which we very much supported. They had discussed the continuing investigation into the murder of former Prime Minister Hariri. In addition the role of Syria had been discussed and the need to keep the pressure on. Asked if the Prime Minister thought the UN should take a harder line on Syria, the PMOS said that was a matter for the UN to decide. The Prime Minister believed that the pressure should be kept on Syria and we had always been at the fore of that process.
Third Foreign Policy Speech
Asked about the third speech in the Prime Minister’s trilogy of foreign policy speeches, the PMOS said it would still be in America and still not be before too long but we did not yet have a fixed date. What we would wait to see first was the formation of a new government in Iraq as it would be in the context of that that the Prime Minister would make his third speech.
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