Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Cabinet, Climate Change, Northern Ireland, Extradition, Iran, Migration, Police Inquiry and Alan Shearer
Cabinet
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said at this morning’s Cabinet Peter Hain updated colleagues on Northern Ireland, primarily because he had not been able to do so last week, not because there was anything new. Tessa Jowell gave an overview of where we were on the Olympics. Professor Nick Stern gave a preview of his report on climate change, which comes out next week. Asked whether there was any discussion of the Queen’s Speech, the PMOS said no.
Asked was there any thing significant discussed about the Olympics, the PMOS said Tessa Jowell was setting out primarily the legacy not just for London or that particular part of London where there would be substantial investment, but also for the country as a whole. The IOC believed that we were substantially ahead of any other city at this stage for the preparation of the games. The figure Tessa Jowell used was that we were two years ahead of where Sydney had been at this comparative stage in preparation for the games. Obviously we needed to maintain that, but that was an indication of what was going on at the moment.
Climate Change
Asked what was the reaction to the Stern Report, the PMOS said it was difficult to talk about the Stern Report without revealing the contents of it. However, the Cabinet recognised this was a very serious piece of work about a very serious subject and very clear thinking about the economic benefits of dealing with climate change now compared to the costs of not dealing with it in the not so distant future.
Asked whether the Government would put the argument abroad, the PMOS said we had already seen the influence this country had had on the whole climate change debate. Indeed, as David Miliband had said this morning at Cabinet, this was no longer just a debate about climate change and the environment. This was a debate about climate change and energy security. This was an issue that affected every aspect of Government and every aspect of life. Therefore, we believed that we should have a discussion with the international community as a whole. Indeed the only way in which we would get progress on the issue of climate change, energy security and all the other allied issues, was by persuading people globally to act. The EU Summit last week was an example of how the debate and the argument on climate change had moved on substantially. It was no longer the case that you had to argue that you had to look to the future beyond Kyoto. That was now accepted by a very strong consensus.
Asked if the Prime Minister thought that climate change needed to underline not just measures for the individual but also industry and the emerging economies, the PMOS said that as the Prime Minister had said all the way through, we believed you would not be able to persuade people to deal with climate change as an issue if you were harming your economy in doing so. That was the case whether you talked about individuals or indeed countries such as India, China or developed countries. Therefore, what we needed to do was outline the technological measures that we needed to deal with energy security, climate change and move forward all together. This was not an issue you could move forward on one front and leave the other behind. Asked who was in charge of the Government’s environment policy, the PMOS said the Government as a whole was pushing forward the debate from different roles and perspectives. This had been clear with issues in the past, but also on the reaction to the Stern Report today.
Northern Ireland
Asked where the Government was on Northern Ireland, the PMOS said it was a matter for the parties to decide if and when they met. The deadline remained essentially the 10th November for parties to indicate whether they were in line with the St Andrews agreement; and then take the necessary steps forward. It was important that parties indicated their overall agreement with the St Andrews agreement by the 10th November.
Extradition
Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed that US soldiers allegedly responsible for killing a UK journalist should not face questioning in the UK, the PMOS said that as the Prime Minister had told the House of Commons at PMQ’s yesterday, we should not interfere in proper legal processes. Put that three UK citizens had been deported to US to face prosecution there, the PMOS said again that was fully in line with the proper legal process.
Iran
Asked what did the Prime Minister think of the Russian Foreign Minister rejecting the text for Iran, the PMOS said rather than respond here, the proper place to so was at the United Nations, and that was what the Government would do.
Migration
Asked whether the PMOS agreed that the phrase " black economy" should not be used because it was racially sensitive, the PMOS said if the journalists were referring to Tuesday’s press briefing, then it was actually journalists who had used the term to him. It was up to others to decide on the term’s appropriateness
Policy Inquiry
Asked if there had been any contact from Scotland Yard, the PMOS said no. Asked if the PMOS would confirm to journalists if it were to happen, the PMOS said the only person he would talk about was the Prime Minister. Beyond that he would not get into hypothetical questions.
Alan Shearer
Asked whether the Prime Minister would be meeting Alan Shearer in the North East today, the PMOS said there would be a fundraising photo-call.
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