Downing Street Says » Derek Conway

Asked repeatedly on the subject of MP’s allowances and whether the Prime Minister agreed with Jack Straw’s comments made earlier that day, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister did agree with Jack Straw’s comments, that there should be greater transparency over MP’s expenses. Exactly how this should be achieved was a matter for the House authorities to consider. Asked if he thought the Committee on Standards in Public life should look at the case, the PMS reiterated that achieving greater transparency was a matter for the House and the relevant authorities. Asked if the Prime Minister had a view on whether MP’s should employ members of their family, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister’s view was that he believed MP’s should operate within the spirit and the letter of the rules.

Asked if it really was a matter for the House authorities, when the message being sent out to the public sector was that there was one rule for MP’s and another for everyone else, the PMS replied that it was a matter for the House authorities. In relation to public sector pay, where there was a direct analogy to the rest of the public sector, the Prime Minister had made his views very clear. The PMS repeated that the Prime Minister did think there was a case for greater transparency over MP’s expenses, but the mechanism and exactly how this should be achieved was for the House authorities to consider.

In response to whether the Prime Minister agreed to the suspension of Derek Conway, the PMS said it was a matter being looked at by the House authorities and was being considered by MP’s today. The PMS added that the Prime Minister was not taking a position on the subject that would come as any surprise to people. Asked if the Prime Minister would be voting that afternoon, the PMS said that he was not sure.

Asked if the Prime Minister was happy that Parliament was rife with nepotism, the PMS suggested that that was more of an assertion than a question. The PMS added that all he could say was that the Prime Minister agreed with the sentiments expressed by Jack Straw that morning.

Asked if the Prime Minister thought that Derek Conway should be expelled from Parliament, the PMS said that that was not a matter for him to comment on.

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» Thursday, January 31, 2008

Derek Conway

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