Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman and Leader of the House Jack Straw on: PM’s Regional Viist, Iraq Debate, Forthcoming Business, Defence debate, Home Office, Assets Recovery Agency, Lords Reform, Party Funding and BBC licence fee
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said he would begin today’s briefing with a new tradition. He would provide the answer ‘no’ and invited lobby to guess the question. Following several mischievous attempts by lobby journalists, he revealed the answer to be no comment regarding Beckham’s announcement that he was leaving Madrid.
PM’s Regional Visit
Asked to clarify who the Prime Minister would meet in the South West today, the PMOS replied that he would meet members of the armed forces. He would visit Westland Helicopters, the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and the Royal Marines training Centre in Lympstone, Devon.
Iraq Debate
Asked if the Prime Minister would attend the Iraq debate in 10 days, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister did not normally attend such debates. He said that the Prime Minister had indicated yesterday that once Operation Sinbad and the assessment had been completed, he would make a statement to Parliament.
Forthcoming Business
The Leader said that, on Monday, January 15, the House would debate the second reading of the Planning Gain Supplement (Preparations) Bill (John Healey for the Government). On Tuesday, January 16, MPs would discuss the second reading of the Pensions Bill (John Hutton and James Purnell). On Wednesday, January 17, there would be a debate on the Report from the Joint Committee on Conventions, which deals with the relationship between both Houses (Jack Straw); on Thursday, January 18, the business would be a debate on Anti-Social Behaviour on a Motion for the Adjournment of the House (Tony McNulty). Private Members Bills would be taken on Friday, January 19.
Provisional business for the following week would be: Monday, January 22 - second reading of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill; Tuesday, January 23 - Opposition Day (3rd Allotted Day). On Wednesday, January 24, there would be a debate on Iraq and the Middle East on a motion for the Adjournment of the House. Thursday, January 25 - MPs would debate the remaining stages of the Fraud (Trials without a Jury) Bill; Friday, January 26 - Private Members Bills.
Defence debate
The Leader added that, as he had indicated during Business Questions earlier, it was likely that the House would debate defence issues in the week beginning January 29 or the following week. Asked if it was too early, at that stage, to debate the Trident issue, Mr Straw pointed out that, by convention, there were five defence-related debates in the annual parliamentary calendar. The next one was due in a couple of weeks. He also pointed out that he had been asked by an MP if it was possible to raise Afghanistan in the Iraq/Middle East debate; the answer was "with difficulty", but it would be possible during the subsequent defence debate.
On the specific Iraq debate, it was almost certain that Margaret Beckett would open. When he had been asked whether the Prime Minister would open, he had replied that it was always the case in his experience that the Foreign Secretary opened debates on foreign policy.
Home Office
Asked if, given his previous experience as Home Secretary, he was surprised that two Ministers appeared to have seen a letter which had raised a potential problem involving convicts from abroad, the Leader said that, firstly, he had not seen the text of the letters. He did not wish to comment.
Mr Straw pointed out that he had said during Business Questions: "It is impossible for a Home Secretary to be fully aware, until they are aware, of everything that is going on in that wonderful Department of State. As an American said in a different context, there are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns, and whoever is Home Secretary wakes up every day wondering which unknown unknown will turn into a known unknown and undermine their career." Mr Straw recounted how he used to wake up every morning and listen to the Today programme when six items had been reported, of which three related to the Home Office - and realise just before he was due to be interviewed that he only knew about one of the issues.
Mr Straw said that he did not make light of it, but it was the nature of the business. As he had said on a previous occasion, the reality was that every other government department, roughly speaking, dealt with people who had a similar agenda. The Leader said that, looking at the fundamentals, the Government’s record was good - crime had fallen, victimisation had come down, control of anti-social behaviour had improved and police numbers had risen.
In response to a further question, he said that he gave full support to and had full confidence in John Reid, who was doing very well. Mr Straw rejected a suggestion that he was implying that the Home Office was too big and should be broken up. He had never been convinced by the Opposition idea that the department should have two Cabinet ministers.
One of the strengths of the British system was that it was much more co-ordinated than many other countries, he added. The recent problems, including the issue of foreign prisoners, would have existed regardless of whether there had been one or two Cabinet ministers at the Home Office.
Assets Recovery Agency
Asked about plans to wind it up, the Leader said that when it had been established the Government initially did not have clear plans to merge the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the National Crime Squad and the enforcement agency parts of the Customs and Revenue. It had made every sense at that stage to have a free-standing Assets Recovery Agency. With the launch of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, it made every sense to merge the ARA.
Lords reform
The Leader, asked if there was any sign of a White Paper, said there was. He would be studying a further chapter to the proposed document later today. While he did not wish to quote a precise time, the aim was to publish soon - well before Easter. Publication would be followed by procedural decisions and then by a vote on composition. The all-party working group, which he chaired, had just had its latest meeting and was working well.
Party funding
He was asked if it was now his feeling that some form of compromise was necessary to work through the current impasse. Mr Straw said there was always a strong case for compromise, but it depended on the nature of it. The Government had set out the position clearly: it believed it was in everybody’s interest that the fundamental problem - the arms race between the political parties - had to be tackled. That would be done by more effective spending controls of the kinds that were intended by all parties when Patrick Neill reported in 1998.
The Leader said that the Government would look with care at what the forthcoming report by Sir Hayden Phillips stated. Mr Straw said that he understood the position of the Opposition. He also noted that Opposition members had signed up to the unanimous report of the Constitutional Affairs select committee which was published just before Christmas. He said it was a very interesting and important report, which had been influential in his thinking.
BBC licence fee
Asked if an announcement would be made next week, the Leader responded by saying that it was imminent.
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