Downing Street Says ... Every day the Prime Minister’s Spokesman meets a small coterie of political journalists known as ‘the lobby’ for a topical chat, or ‘briefing’.

Every day the Prime Minister's Spokesman meets a small coterie of political journalists known as 'the lobby' for a topical chat, or 'briefing'.

Downing Street Says... is an unofficial site that lets you read summaries of these briefings and add your own comments. Want to know more?

» Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Turkish state visit

Asked if there was a readout of the Prime Minister’s meeting with the Turkish President, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) said the meeting had just begun. The PMS said he expected the key issues they would discuss to be North Africa and the Middle East, events in Syria, Turkey’s bid for membership to the EU, […]

Syria

Asked what the Prime Minister would be saying in his meeting with the Turkish President on Syria, the PMS said the National Security Council (NSC) had discussed the situation earlier in the day. He said the Government was clearly concerned about the situation and that President Assad needed to step aside. He added that the […]

Egypt

Asked what the Government’s view was on the protests in Egypt, the PMS said the NSC had also discussed that earlier in the day and the Government was concerned about the situation. He said that, as the Foreign Secretary had set out the previous day, the Government wanted to see Egypt press ahead with elections. […]

Economy

Asked if the Prime Minister had described the economic position as a difficult situation in Cabinet, the PMS said the Prime Minister had made that point in his speech to the CBI the previous day. Asked if the Prime Minister had referred to Housing Minister Graham Schapps as dyno-rod, the PMS said the Prime Minister […]

Employment law

Asked if there was agreement across the coalition on how to deal with employment law and deregulation, the PMS said a process had been underway for some time looking at reducing the burden of regulation, particularly where that affects small and medium sized businesses, and that announcements would be made in due course. original source.

Party funding

Asked if the Prime Minister backed a recommendation by the committee on standards in public life that the citations recommending someone for the House of Lords should be published, the PMS said all the recommendations of the report would be considered.   original source.

» Monday, November 21, 2011

Morning press briefing from 21 November 2011

Monday 21 November 2011 Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s spokesperson on: Turkish state visit, Syria, housing strategy, working time directive, autumn statement and benefits original source.

Turkish state visit

Asked if the Prime Minister would be meeting the Turkish President during his visit, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) said it was a state visit and the Prime Minister would see him the next day. Asked if they would discuss Turkey’s integration into the EU, the PMS said further details would be provided after the […]

Syria

Asked who the Syrian opposition delegation visiting London had met, the PMS said they had met Downing Street staff. He added they would be meeting the Foreign Secretary later that day. original source.

Housing strategy

Asked for the Prime Minister’s reaction to comments by the Shadow Chancellor that the 400million announced in the Housing Strategy to restart staled construction projects was small beer compared to cuts in capital spending on housing, the PMS said the housing strategy was one part of what the Government was doing on housing. He said […]

Working time directive

Asked what the current position was in trying to reform the Working Time Directive (WTD) following talks the Prime Minister had with the German Chancellor, the PMS said the Government was expecting a report from Herman Von Rompuy to the European Council in early December that would set out options for improving the economic governance […]

Autumn statement

Asked if it was still the Government’s intention to pay off the structural deficit by 2014/15, the PMS said the fiscal mandate was unchanged and there would be an update in the autumn statement. Asked further questions on the fiscal mandate, the PMS said there was a rolling 5-year mandate for the deficit and an […]

Benefits

Asked if the Prime Minister had made a decision on the uprating of benefits, the PMS said there was a process in which a benefits uprating order was published, usually in early December, and suggested journalists wait for that. original source.

» Monday, November 14, 2011

Afternoon press briefing from 14 November 2011

Monday 14 November 2011 Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s spokesperson on: Lord Mayor’s banquet speech, eurozone, fuel prices and Sure Start centres original source.

Original PMOS briefings are © Crown Copyright. Crown Copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland. Click-use licence number C02W0004089. Material is reproduced from the original 10 Downing Street source, but may not be the most up-to-date version of the briefings, which might be revised at the original source. Users should check with the original source in case of revisions. Comments are © Copyright contributors. Everything else is © Copyright Downing Street Says.

» Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Turkish state visit

Syria

Egypt

Economy

Employment law

Party funding

» Monday, November 21, 2011

Morning press briefing from 21 November 2011

Turkish state visit

Syria

Housing strategy

Working time directive

Autumn statement

Benefits

» Monday, November 14, 2011

Afternoon press briefing from 14 November 2011

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