Downing Street Says » 2006

» Monday, June 12, 2006

Climate Change

Asked if the Prime Minister was going to rule out climate change incentives for nuclear power plants, the PMOS replied that people should wait for the energy review and see the actual facts, rather than speculating.

Briefing took place at 12:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Afghanistan

Asked how a Taliban leader could give a news interview in a village that the British forces had last week spent 7 hours clearing out the Taliban and whether this meant there were not enough NATO troops on the ground, the PMOS said that troop numbers were at the levels that commanders on the ground believed were needed. British troops were there to help the democratically elected Afghan government extend its administrative reach over that part of the country, which had not been there in the past.

Briefing took place at 12:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

» Friday, June 9, 2006

World Cup

Asked if the Prime Minister would watch the England match against Paraguay tomorrow, the Prime Minister's Spokesman (PMS) said yes he would. Asked if he had a big screen TV to watch it on the PMS said that she didn't know.

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

Franco-British Summit

The PMS gave journalists a run-through of the Franco-British summit. She said that the British delegation included the Prime Minister, Margaret Beckett, Des Brown, David Miliband, Jim Knight and Malcolm Wicks. The summit would form part of the discussions in the run up to the European Council next week in Brussels which would be taking forward the Hampton Court agenda. Various issues would be discussed today, in particular European energy policy, focussing on security and diversity of supply. The European Commission had agreed in March that there was a need for an energy policy for Europe and this would also be discussed at next week's Council meeting. In Paris today they would also talk about defence cooperation, the world trade round, Africa, and climate change following from the Gleneagles dialogue running up to the Mexico summit in October.

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

Terror Legislation

Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned by the fact that because of delays in passing the Terrorism Act of 2006, those arrested at Forest Gate would have to be released next Friday, whereas the Terrorism Act's provision for 28 days would have meant they could have been held a lot longer, the PMS said that it had been at Parliament's request that a code of practice should be agreed before the new powers were implemented. Codes of practice had to go out for consultation. After the Act had received royal ascent, the consultation document had been published in order to meet parliament's request. We expected a code of practice to be laid before parliament very shortly. Put to her that the code of practice could have been consulted on a lot earlier, the PMS pointed out that the Act had been passed on the 30th March and the consultation started on the 2nd May which lasted 3 weeks. That was much shorter than the normal 12 weeks. So there had already been a significant reduction in the normal timescale. However in terms of the detail of the process journalists should speak to the Home Office.

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

» Thursday, June 8, 2006

Franco- British Summit

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) confirmed that there would be a joint press conference with President Chirac tomorrow afternoon. Asked what the themes of the summit would be, the PMOS said that the summit was coming a week ahead of the next European Council so that would form part of the discussion. That Council would take forward the Hampton Court agenda, which had been encapsulated in President Barroso's Citizen's Agenda. The Prime Minister had also discussed this with Prime Minister Prodi last week. The issue of European energy policy would focus on security, diversity of supply, further liberalisation of markets and strengthening dialogue, for example between the EU and Russia. Defence cooperation would focus on the next steps of joint aircraft carriers. Climate change discussion would look at the post Gleneagles dialogue with an eye on the Mexico summit in Oct. On Africa we also wanted to build on progress already made, which in turn leads into the WTO and the need for progress on that.

Briefing took place at 8:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Leader of Commons, Rt Hon Jack Straw MP Briefing

Mr Straw noted that it had been customary until the end of 2002 for the Leader of the House to speak at the briefing about forthcoming business. He had now decided to resume the practice.

Briefing took place at 8:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (11)

Forthcoming Business

The Leader drew attention to the second reading of the Fraud Bill on June 12 (Mike O'Brien would lead for the Government); Lords amendments to the Work and Families Bill on June 13 (Jim Fitzpatrick) and consideration of Lords amendments to the Electoral Administration Bill (Bridget Prentice); on Wednesday, there would be an all-day debate on European Affairs as a pre-curser to the European Council next week (Margaret Beckett opening, Geoff Hoon closing). The Commons would debate the second reading of the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill on Thursday (Peter Hain). The Government would be supporting two Private Members' Bills scheduled for debate on Friday, June 16: International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill, which was first in the list, followed by the Crown Employment (Nationality) Bill.

Briefing took place at 8:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Other

The Leader was asked, in relation to the Electoral Administration Bill, if he was open to the idea of individual registration. He said the Government had accepted a significant change in relation to postal ballots, whereby voters would have to give individual identifiers. Decisions had yet to be made in respect of the amendments passed by the House of Lords in respect of individual identifiers for registration, including signatures. He said that, while it was argued that such a step could eliminate fraud, the argument against involved the difficulties which could face households, such as the practical issue of obtaining the signatures of absent students. One issue was whether the problems of doing so would lead to a drop in registration. Another issue overall was whether there would be a serious problem of personation at the polling stations. The Government accepted that there were difficulties over postal ballots. The question was whether there were sufficient difficulties over personal voting to justify such measures. He stressed that decisions had yet to be taken. The Government had to make a judgement about the Lords amendment. The major problem had been over postal ballots rather than personation in polling stations. The Government had to examine the evidence. Lord Falconer was leading on it.

Briefing took place at 8:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

» Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Flags

Asked by the Scotsman what would the Prime Minister say to people in Scotland, (i.e. the Scotsman News Desk), who worried that by displaying the Cross of St. George above Downing Street, he was sending a signal that said that one of the constituent nations in the UK was more highly viewed than the others, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that there was only one nation in the countries that made up the UK that was taking part in this year's World Cup, and therefore it was right to recognise the significance of that occasion. We obviously wished that there were more countries taking part in the World Cup. Unfortunately Northern Ireland, despite beating England, did not make it the World Cup, and unfortunately Scotland and Wales were in the same position.

Briefing took place at 7:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

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» Monday, June 12, 2006

Climate Change

Afghanistan

» Friday, June 9, 2006

World Cup

Franco-British Summit

Terror Legislation

» Thursday, June 8, 2006

Franco- British Summit

Leader of Commons, Rt Hon Jack Straw MP Briefing

Forthcoming Business

Other

» Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Flags

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