Downing Street Says » 2006

» Thursday, June 22, 2006

British Nuclear Deterrent

Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the need to retain our independent nuclear deterrent for the long term, the PMOS said that if people looked back at the government's manifesto they would see that it said we were committed to retain the independent nuclear deterrent. The Prime Minister had also spoken about this issue with Jeremy Paxman during the General Election campaign. In that interview he had said that we had to retain our nuclear deterrent and that we had had an independent nuclear deterrent for a long time. He went on to say that in principle he believed that it was important to retain our own independent deterrent, that he believed it was the right thing for the country and an important part of our defence.

Briefing took place at 14:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Defence Debate

Asked why the Defence Secretary was not available to lead the annual defence debate in the Commons, the PMOS said that the Defence Secretary was in Iraq. He was liaising with the new Iraqi government about Basra and elsewhere. This was important work.

Briefing took place at 14:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

David Walton

Asked if there were any words on the death of David Walton, the member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister was obviously saddened by the news.

Briefing took place at 14:00 | Read whole briefing | Comment (1)

» Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Third Sector Speech

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) previewed the Prime Minister's speech that he would give to the Future Services Network conference tomorrow. The Prime Minister and other ministers would focus on how the third sector, otherwise know as the voluntary sector, could work with government to deliver more customer based public services. The summit would address how the Government could insure public, private and voluntary sectors were able to learn to be the best service providers, how service provision could be shaped more towards individuals and the communities that use them, and how to develop and celebrate innovative methods of delivery. The Prime Minister would say:

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

World Cup

Asked if the Prime Minister's speech on Friday about the criminal justice system was going to be a philosophical one or a policy making one, the PMOS said that it was more the former rather than the latter. What it would be was an overview of his personal experience since Opposition days across the broad criminal justice system. The Prime Minister had also commissioned specifically for this speech a series of papers from experts inside and outside Government, and he would be drawing on that as well. People would see that it was a fairly substantive speech. As the PMOS had said before, it would be the first of the domestic equivalent of the foreign policy speeches, which people agreed were substantive.

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Trident

Asked for the Prime Minister's view concerning a replacement for the Trident nuclear defence programme following the questions raised at PMQs earlier, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister would express that view at the appropriate time. He hadn't said anything more today than he had said in the past. Put to him that as a multi-lateralist he wouldn't get rid of Trident unilaterally, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister believed in maintaining the UK's defence. In terms of Trident we would talk about that at the appropriate time. Put to him that the Prime Minister had implied there would be a decision by the House of Commons, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had said there would be a proper discussion. The point he was making was that this was not something we were suddenly going to announce.

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Home Office Review

Put that with all the various events in the recent months, would the sequences be several statements from John Reid before the summer recess and one after on Megan's Law, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister's speech would set the intellectual framework for the approach of the Government. John Reid was looking at how we changed and transformed the Home Office to meet present day needs. There were also issues about sentencing which Dr. Reid and Lord Falconer were looking at, including the issue of how foreign prisoners and deportations were dealt with. The PMOS said that the speech on Friday was not about the detail, but it was about the intellectual overview. The proposals which John Reid would surface before July would be about the detail, but people should wait until then.

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

World Cup Tickets

Asked if the securing of tickets for 350 school children disappointed by fraudulent tickets at the World Cup in Germany was down to Richard Caborn's charm and diplomacy, the PMOS said that it was down to a team effort including DCMS in which Richard Caborn played a very important part. So had Sepp Blatter and his team at FIFA and the Premier League as well. This was genuinely something which DCMS had been working round the clock on and we were very grateful to them, as well as FIFA and the Premier League. Asked what role the Prime Minister played, the PMOS said that, if he could put it this way, the Prime Minister had given a lead on Radio Five which DCMS had no doubt been happy to follow.

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

Forest Gate

Put that Sir Ian Blair had said in his speech today that Forest Gate was justified, and people had only heard the family's side of the story, therefore, if there was another side of the story, shouldn't the Government try to bring it out, the PMOS said that ignored the fact that there was an IPC investigation going on. Due process might not fit with media deadlines, but we still should abide by due process. That, inevitably, in these kinds of situations, did mean that there was a one-sided picture. The PMOS said that was partly the price we had to pay for due process.

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (3)

Grace and Favour Homes

Asked if there had been any developments on Grace and Favour homes for ministers, the PMOS referred journalists to his previous answer on the subject. Put to him that it was a matter of public record when these homes were occupied, the PMOS said that we would of course tell people when that happy event arose. Asked if it would be resolved before recess, the PMOS said that it was not a matter that he sensed was top of people's agenda. Asked if it was possible that some of these homes might be sold off the PMOS said that he had genuinely meant it when he said previously that discussions would continue and we would let people know the outcome of those discussions.

Briefing took place at 13:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

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» Thursday, June 22, 2006

British Nuclear Deterrent

Defence Debate

David Walton

» Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Third Sector Speech

World Cup

Trident

Home Office Review

World Cup Tickets

Forest Gate

Grace and Favour Homes

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