Downing Street Says » 2004

» Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Civil Service cuts

Asked to comment on today's FT report suggesting that the Government was rowing back on its Budget pledge to cut the number of Civil Servants, the PMOS said that the Budget's contents remained unchanged. We would report on the issue in due course. Pressed as to whether the story was true in the light of Nick Raynsford's comments yesterday, the PMOS said that Mr Raynsford's words were on the record. We would be able to respond properly once we had reported on the issue. Asked if the Prime Minister would want to pay tribute to the 700,000 extra Civil Servants who had been employed by the Government, the PMOS said that Civil Servants were taken on to do necessary jobs. Put to him that the Chancellor had said in the Budget that 60,000 Civil Service posts were not necessary and should be cut, the PMOS said that obviously the issue would be addressed in areas where savings could be made through modernisation.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

» Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Iraq

Asked to clarify whether Sir Jeremy Greenstock had seen the ICRC report, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said a meeting had been held when ICRC personnel had presented their report to Paul Bremer and British representatives, including Sir Jeremy's legal advisers. As a result of that meeting, the report had been sent to the relevant people in Iraq to be dealt with. It was important for people to recognise that its contents were already being acted on, which was why it had been handled in the way that it had. Confusion had arisen because we had thought that Sir Jeremy himself had read the report, when it fact he hadn't. Asked if Sir Jeremy had notified Downing Street of the mistake, the PMOS said no. It had become apparent that there was a discrepancy between what the Defence Secretary had said yesterday and what the Foreign Secretary had said today. Yes, it was a slight mistake, but it did not change the substance of the matter one iota. Asked how the error had come to light, the PMOS said that as he understood it, a member of the Opposition had spotted the discrepancy today and had pointed it out. Asked at what stage Sir Jeremy had finally found out about the ICRC report, the PMOS said that Sir Jeremy had always been aware of the report. He underlined the fact that it had not contained any new allegations about British troops that were not already being dealt with. That was why Ministers had not been informed of it. Put to him that Sir Jeremy would surely had warned the Prime Minister about it, the PMOS said that he was not aware of any such conversations.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Liverpool FC

Asked if the Prime Minister would want to congratulate the Thai Prime Minister on acquiring one third of Liverpool FC, the PMOS said that that would be a matter for another Prime Minister's spokesman to deal with.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Iraq

Asked repeatedly whether Ministers had been unaware of general concerns raised by the Red Cross about the Coalition's treatment of Iraqi prisoners, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that he had nothing to add to what Ministers had already said about the ICRC report. The important thing was not who had known what, when. The important point was that the allegations which had been raised had already been dealt with. Asked to verify today's Guardian report suggesting that Sir Jeremy Greenstock had received the report and had passed it on through the military chain rather than giving it to political figures, the PMOS said that as he had told journalists yesterday, the report had been drawn up for the prison authorities, namely the CPA in Baghdad. It had then been passed to the British CPA representative, Sir Jeremy Greenstock. Since it was clearly an operational matter, it had been decided that it was appropriate for it to be passed to the military authorities who were in charge of detention facilities. That was what had happened. Thus, since action had already been taken by the British authorities, it had not been considered necessary to pass the report on to Ministers. Asked if Sir Jeremy had informed the Prime Minister that "this cloud was on the horizon", the PMOS said no.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

» Monday, May 10, 2004

Iraq

Asked why the Prime Minister had not been on the frontbench for the Defence Secretary's Statement this afternoon, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the Prime Minister was obviously aware of what Mr Hoon was going to say. Indeed, he had articulated the case himself twice today. Rather than address marginal issues, such as who was sitting on the frontbench, it was important for people to address the substance of the matter - i.e. that issues highlighted by the ICRC had already been under investigation or had been dealt with by the time the interim report had been received last February.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

China

Asked if the UK would support China in its efforts to have the EU weapons embargo lifted, the PMOS said that it was an issue that was under review by the EU. A final decision would have to be taken by the EU as a whole.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

New Appointment

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) informed journalists that Kim Darroch, currently Director General EU in the FCO, had been appointed head of the European Secretariat in the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister's EU adviser in succession to Sir Stephen Wall who was due to retire from the Civil Service next month.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Iraq/Abuse Allegations

Asked if the Prime Minister had been aware in February of the Red Cross report into allegations of mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners and what action had been taken as a result of the report, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had dealt with the first part of the question in his press conference this morning. Questions about who knew what, when would be dealt with by the Defence Secretary in his Statement to the House this afternoon. In answer to further questions, the PMOS said that it was important to put this issue into context. He pointed out that ICRC reports had always been confidential. This was not at the request of the UK Government - it was the way that the ICRC worked worldwide. It made its reports to prison authorities, and that was the way in which it operated. Secondly, the report in February had not been UK specific. It had been about the issue of prisoner detentions in Iraq in general. It had therefore been addressed to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and had been copied to the UK Government. Thirdly, where it had raised concerns or allegations, those which related to UK procedures were already being addressed or had been addressed as a result of the report. The PMOS underlined the importance of keeping this issue in perspective. He reminded journalists of Adam Ingram's Statement to the House last Tuesday in which he had said that thirty three cases relating to allegations of mistreatment by British troops had been investigated. Of those, twenty one had been completed, fifteen had been found to have no case to answer and six were being considered for further legal processes. The remaining twelve were still being investigated. He added that it was a mistake to suggest that the ICRC report was in some way a sweeping condemnation of UK procedures. It was not. He pointed out that an ICRC report into the new UK detention centre at Shaiba in April had contained few significant criticisms. Asked for further detail about this particular report, the PMOS said that he was unable to provide further information because the ICRC worked under strict rules of confidentiality and did not want their reports published. Indeed, that was a limitation under which Geoff Hoon would have to operate this afternoon.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (2)

China

Asked if the Prime Minister would raise the issue of Chinese human rights abuses in his meeting with the Chinese Premier today, the PMOS said that these were issues which were raised on a regular basis with the Chinese at all levels. We recognised that some progress had been made, particularly in the areas relating to legal reform. However, it was clear that there were other matters to be addressed. We also recognised the benefits of our relationship with China in the light of its importance in the world, not least because it was the sixth largest economy and because it was a permanent member of the UN.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (6)

» Friday, May 7, 2004

Youth Justice Pledge

The Prime Minister's Spokesman (PMS) drew journalists' attention to the Youth Justice Pledge statistics for February which had been published today. These showed that there were now 66 days from arrest to sentence for young offenders, particularly persistent offenders - well within the 71 day target set by the Government.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

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» Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Civil Service cuts

» Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Iraq

Liverpool FC

Iraq

» Monday, May 10, 2004

Iraq

China

New Appointment

Iraq/Abuse Allegations

China

» Friday, May 7, 2004

Youth Justice Pledge

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