Downing Street Says » Sir Ian Blair

Asked what was the Prime Minister’s view about Sir Ian Blair taping a conversation he had had with the Attorney General, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the Attorney General’s office had put out a statement saying that the Commissioner and the Attorney General had spoken this morning and the Sir Ian had explained the circumstances. The Attorney General now considered the matter closed.

Asked how they had spoken if the Commissioner was on holiday, the PMOS said there was something called a telephone that they had used! Asked if it had been recorded, the PMOS said, amid laughter that the journalist got ten out of ten and should go to the top of the class!

Asked what was the Prime Minister’s view about Ministers conversations being taped, the PMOS replied that the relevant people had spoken, and they had decided that the matter was closed.

Put that the Attorney General had accepted the apology and the explanation, but what was the explanation, the PMOS said that it was a conversation between the two of them, and the PMOS said therefore it was not for him to brief on their conversation.

Asked if the Prime Minister had full confidence in Sir Ian Blair, the PMOS said: yes.

Asked if Sir Ian Blair had taped any other conversations, the PMOS said that he spoke for the Prime Minister, not for Sir Ian Blair, therefore, it was a matter for the Met Police.

Asked whether Sir Ian Blair had taped the Prime Minister, the PMOS replied that he was not aware of any suggestion that he had.

Asked if the Prime Minister had a view as to whether it was good or bad thing that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner had taped Ministers, the PMOS said that the important thing was that Sir Ian had set out his reasons to the Attorney General. The Attorney General had accepted them, and things should now move on.

Put that was Sir Ian now becoming rather a "figure of fun" or certainly, one of controversy, the PMOS replied that what was important was that we recognised that controversy was not new to the position of being the Commissioner of the Met Police because it was a difficult role. As the PMOS had said before, the Prime Minister recognised that it was a difficult role, and he also recognised the way in which Sir Ian had gone about fulfilling that role. The important thing was what the police in London were doing in terms of results.

Asked what were the Government’s policies about recording, the PMOS said that he was not a lawyer, so it was better that the journalist got the legal definition.

Put that it was common practice for civil servants to listen in to Ministerial phone conversations, the PMOS said that whilst it was common practice for civil servants to listen in, he wanted to distinguish between listening in and tape recording.

Asked again about Sir Ian Blair’s explanation, the PMOS said that it was a conversation between Sir Ian Blair and the Attorney General, and that was where it should remain.

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» Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Sir Ian Blair

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