Downing Street Says » 2004

» Thursday, May 6, 2004

Cricket/Zimbabwe

Asked about the Foreign Secretary's meeting this afternoon with the ECB regarding the forthcoming cricket tour to Zimbabwe, the PMOS said that our position on this issue had not changed. We sympathised with the ECB over the position in which they found themselves. However, they were very well aware of our view. That said, as the Prime Minister had told the Commons yesterday, we could not order individuals not to travel.

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

» Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Iraq

Put to him that the Prime Minister had seemed to go a little further on the question of troop numbers in Iraq during PMQs today, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that our position on this matter had not changed since last week. We remained in discussion with our Coalition partners and were keeping the matter under constant review. Asked if an announcement was expected in the next day or so, the PMOS repeated that the matter was kept under constant review. Various options were being considered as part of that. Put to him that the Prime Minister had spoken specifically today about the possibility of providing 'more troops' - a phrase he hadn't used before, the PMOS said that as he had told journalists repeatedly last week, we kept this issue under constant review and were in discussion with our Coalition allies. That remained the case. Put to him that last week he could have been talking about fewer troops in Iraq, whereas the Prime Minister had definitely gone further today by specifically referring to 'more troops', the PMOS said that when he had been asked questions about this issue last week, he had been under no delusion that he was being asked about fewer troops. His answer then was the same as his answer today.

Briefing took place at 15:45 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

Decent homes

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) drew journalists' attention to an announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister today regarding decent homes. He would announce fifty eight new schemes to make 170,000 homes more decent, i.e. in a reasonable state of repair, with reasonably modern facilities and services and with a reasonable degree of heating and insulation. Since 1997, 1 million more homes were now in that category.

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

Iraq pictures

Asked if the Prime Minister would follow the example of President Bush and agree to be interviewed by Arab media, the PMOS said he was not aware of any plans for him to do so at this stage. We had made our position very clear on this issue on Friday. In the first instance, it was important for the allegations to be investigated properly. If they were found to be correct, we had made it absolutely clear that we did not condone such actions, but condemned them.

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

Stephen Lawrence

Asked if he would agree that the parents of Stephen Lawrence had been let down by the CPS decision to rule out the prospect of a fresh prosecution over Stephen's murder, the PMOS said that the Met Police were holding a press conference on this issue shortly. It was only right that they should be given the opportunity to respond to the announcement in the first instance.

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

» Tuesday, May 4, 2004

Africa Commission

Asked if he would agree that the first meeting of the Africa Commission today was 'too little too late' in the light of the fact that it had taken the Prime Minister over two years to act on his pledge to help Africa, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said no. The Government's record on aid to Africa and debt relief showed that we had been leading the way in helping the continent. The purpose of the Commission, half of whose members were African, was to look fundamentally and originally at the issues surrounding Africa and come up with a coherent report. It had the clear political backing of the Prime Minister and we hoped the report would be completed in time for the UK's Presidency of both the G8 and the EU next year. There was a clear sign that progress had already been made in terms of the attitudes towards Africa we had seen in recent years in the G8, as well as elsewhere. It was important for us to pull those various strands together into a coherent approach. If the question being asked contained a suggestion that the job had not been completed, then that was something with which we would agree. That said, it was important not to underestimate what had already been achieved.

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

MoD/British Aerospace

Asked for a reaction to allegations by the Guardian about 'backhanders' involving one of the MoD's suppliers, British Aerospace, the PMOS said that this was a matter for the MoD, not him. Asked why he was willing to express a view about the alleged activities of another MoD 'supplier', the Queen's Lancashire Regiment', but not this case, the PMOS said that the two cases were different. The claims regarding soldiers' alleged actions in Iraq had consequences which went far further than the MoD.

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

Africa Commission

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister would be chairing the first meeting of the Africa Commission in Downing Street this afternoon. The purpose of the Commission was to have a fresh and fundamental look at all aspects of policy relating to Africa in the run-up to the UK's Presidency of both the G8 and the EU next year.

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

Iraq pictures

Asked about Adam Ingram's Statement to the House this afternoon on the treatment of Iraqi prisoners, the PMOS said that Mr Ingram would update MPs on the issue. Everyone was familiar with the current situation. An investigation into the Daily Mirror pictures was ongoing which would take into account all the relevant matters. Obviously we hoped it would report as soon as possible, but it was clearly important to make sure that it was properly carried out.

Briefing took place at 11:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (5)

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.

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» Thursday, May 6, 2004

Cricket/Zimbabwe

» Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Iraq

Decent homes

Iraq pictures

Stephen Lawrence

» Tuesday, May 4, 2004

Africa Commission

MoD/British Aerospace

Africa Commission

Iraq pictures

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