Downing Street Says » Andy Parsons

Asked how many photos of the Prime Minister Andrew Parsons had taken today, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that he would not be getting into the habit of giving out details of what each and every civil servant was doing each day.

When asked if the Civil Service recommended that Andrew Parsons should be taken onto the payroll, the PMS replied that Mr Parsons was a Cabinet Office employee and our policy on staff was that we did not talk about employment details.

Asked if it was safe to assume that no photos taken by Andrew Parsons would be made available to the Conservative Party, the PMS replied that this was a Government role, but for any more detail people should speak to the Cabinet Office.

Asked why the Prime Minister needed a photographer and a videographer, the PMS replied that these were Cabinet Office employees and they were Government roles. Put that, when asked, Jeremy Hunt had said that these were Prime Ministerial appointments, the PMS said that photos would be taken by Andrew Parsons of the Prime Minister, but also of other Government Ministers.

On why the Government felt the need to employ a photographer, the PMS said that in the past, the Government had employed people who took photographs.

Put that taxpayers would ask why they were paying for this and not the Conservative Party, the PMS replied that this Government and governments in general spent money on communications. The PMS said that the Government was actually reducing money spent on communications.

Asked how many former party political employees had been appointed to their posts without being subject to competition, the PMS said that he did not think it was Civil Service policy to take into account former employment when appointing someone and it was certainly the case that in the past, the Civil Service had employed people who had previously worked for political parties.

The PMS said that on the issue of competition, he did not know what particular arrangements were made in this case, but it was possible to employ people on short-term contracts without competition.

Asked if there was a limit on how many times contracts could be renewed, the PMS said that it was his understanding that it was possible to renew the contract once, but subsequent to that, there would need to be competition.

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» Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Andy Parsons

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