» Monday, May 14, 2007

BAe

Asked if there was any response to the reports that the Swiss had started to investigate the BAe debacle, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said no, it was a matter for the Swiss authorities.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Regional Visit

Asked if there had been any criticisms of the decision to use a Royal Navy helicopter just to highlight the Prime Minister's record, the PMOS said that if a person was going round the country you have to chose the best way of doing so. Given the limitations on conventional transport a helicopter was the best way to do it. Also if you look at the actual facts, which the PMOS assumed the reporter would be primarily interested in, seven classrooms built or upgraded on average everyday for ten years, two entirely new schools and ten children's centres built on average every week, those are figures which you can really only illustrate by going round the country. It is by visiting the various, individual places in the country that you see the actual change on the ground.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Prime Minister’s Visit to Washington

Asked what the Prime Minister saw as the main topics of conversation on the agenda when he visits Washington this week, the PMOS said climate change with the approach of the G8 Summit, Africa ditto, trade with the WTO talks coming to a head, Middle East Peace Process (MEPP), Iraq, Iran and Darfur.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Asked if the Prime Minister was still interested in being head of the IMF, the PMOS said that he just briefed on what the Prime Minister did as Prime Minister.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

The Chancellor

Asked if there were any contingency plans for The Chancellor to be included in any of the international meetings that were coming up in June, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister would go and represent the country as Prime Minister and will represent the views of the Government and the country.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Iraq

Asked if the Prime Minister believed in hearts and minds with regards to Iraq, the PMOS said if you actually look at what the Prime Minister has said in the Los Angeles speech, if you look at what the Prime Minister had said in terms of winning the battle of ideas, if you look at what the Prime Minister has said in terms of willing the political battle, in view of what the Prime Minister has said in terms of the need to push the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) through then you cannot say that the Prime Minister has not recognised the need to win hearts and minds. It is not something that you do overnight. It is something that you need to work on and if you go back to the Los Angeles speech the Prime Minister identified there the need to push forward on a consistent basis to win hearts and minds. Put to the PMOS that anyone who has said that the Prime Minister had not done enough to win hearts and minds would be wrong, the PMOS said that he did not know to whom the journalists was referring so he would not comment. However what the Prime Minister has always emphasised was that you must put equal weight on winning hearts and minds but also the proper security response where that is necessary.

Briefing took place at 15:00 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

Sellafeild Inquiry

Asked for the Prime Minister's reaction to calls for Michael Redfern to hear the body parts inquiry in public, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that the inquiry was already underway, and people could make their representations to the inquiry. The speed with which the inquiry had been set up and was underway, underlined that we believed that this was the right way to go.

Briefing took place at 9:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Sellafeild Inquiry

Asked for the Prime Minister's reaction to calls for Michael Redfern to hear the body parts inquiry in public, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that the inquiry was already underway, and people could make their representations to the inquiry. The speed with which the inquiry had been set up and was underway, underlined that we believed that this was the right way to go.

Briefing took place at 9:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Washington

Asked if the Prime Minister would receive the Congressional Medal whilst in Washington, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister would not.

Briefing took place at 9:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Migration

Asked if the Prime Minister had any sympathy with Councils when official figures showed that that number of immigrants was putting pressure on services such as schools, the PMOS replied that Liam Byrne had set out the position very well this morning: we were introducing a points system; we were establishing an independent commission that would advise on what skills this country needs; we were also setting up an impact forum, to bring together all the relevant bodies in areas where migration has made an impact. Against that however, we also had to bear in mind that the benefits of migration amounted to around £½billion a day. So in terms of the benefits we had to be cognisant of that, while at the same time recognising that in some areas there were particular pressures on schools for example, which was why we had set out the measures we had.

Briefing took place at 9:00 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

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