Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: Information Commissioner, casinos and misc
Information Commissioner
Asked if the Prime Minister was minded to accept the Information Commissioner’s ruling on releasing Cabinet notes, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that as the Cabinet Office had said, we would have to give proper consideration to the ruling. We would have to balance off the requirements of openness and transparency against considerations relating to the proper and effective functioning of Government.
Asked when the Government would be making its decision, the PMS said he did not have that information. Put that the Information Commissioner was making a point of opinion that the issue was so important that information should be released, rather than ruling on whether or not these pages were exempt under the terms of the act, the PMS replied that the Government would have to consider its position on the matter and whether it would be against the ruling.
Put that the Government was not rejecting the ruling out of hand, the PMS reiterated that it was a judgement that had come from the Information Commissioner and it would have to be considered. There were requirements for openness and transparency, but these had to be balanced against the proper and effective functioning of Government. At the heart of that system, as the Cabinet Office had been saying, was the constitutional convention of collective Cabinet responsibility.
Asked if the Prime Minister recognised the Information Commissioner’s role as a representative of public opinion, rather than a straightforward interpreter of it, the PMS said the Information Commissioner’s role and responsibilities were well established and were set out in legislation.
Asked if the Government actually had the power to refuse to hand over the information, the PMS replied that we had to decide whether or not we were going to appeal against the judgement. Asked if the Government could be ordered to do it, the PMS said that he was not sure if there were any precedents for that or what the legal position would be. The next stage of the process was to decide if we were going to appeal.
Asked if the Prime Minister had closed off the option of a full public inquiry, the PMS said that when the Prime Minister had been asked about this before, during the spring and summer of last year for instance, his position then was that it was not something to be considered while the troops were in Iraq. This had been the longstanding position.
Asked if the ruling by the Information Commissioner was a one-off, the PMS replied that that was a question for the Information Commission.
Casinos
Put that Andy Burnham had announced that new casinos would be closed for six hours of every 24 and was there any plans to replicate that in the licensing trade, the PMS replied that there was a review under way in relation to 24 hour licensing and the Prime Minister had been speaking about it yesterday, so he did not think there was anything to add at the moment.
Asked why the Prime Minister was trying to turn the country into a nation of gamblers, the PMS said that what the Prime Minister had been doing since he took up office, was to make the decision not to go ahead with the super-casino. We had also seen some measures being announced today by Andy Burnham that tightened up the regulation of casinos. The concept of 24-hour casinos had come to an end and we had also seen an appeal from Andy Burnham to the gambling industry to make more of a contribution to help those groups who dealt with people who were affected by gambling addiction.
Misc
Put that Hazel Blears was due to make a statement on regeneration for Manchester, the PMS said that it would be released as a press notice.
Asked if the Prime Minister had written a letter to the British Law Society promising continued funds for groups working for democratic change in Zimbabwe, the PMS said he did not know the answer to that, but would check.
Asked if the drug strategy being announced tomorrow would include the conclusions on the reclassification of Cannabis, the PMS said that we were not expecting the conclusions of the Advisory Committee until later in the spring.
Asked if the Prime Minister was heartened by the decision to bring forward the decision on MP’s expenses to the summer, the PMS said these were matters for the House. As a general rule, the Prime Minister would welcome any moves to greater transparency and he had made his views on that quite clear; the most comprehensive statement of his position was the letter sent to the Speaker setting out the position he would be taking as leader of the Labour party.
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