Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Prison Service, Super Casino and Monsieur Sarkozy
Prison Service
Asked what No.10 made of HM Inspector of Prisons comment that the Government had, ‘created an ark after the flood’ in response to calls to reform prisons, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the HM Inspector also said that the significant improvements continued to take place in many key areas of prison life, she praised the prison service safer custody work, education and training provision, resettlement and health care. What was also important to recognise is that John Reid has agreed with her that there is still much work to be done. That is why in top of the 20,000 extra places he has asked for an additional 8,000 places. It is a mixed picture and the Government needs to work with people such as HM Inspector of Prisons to get it right.
Super Casino
Asked why Manchester had been chosen as the site for the new super casino, the PMOS said that it was that is what the Casino Advisory Panel announcement said. What is important is that we take their independent advice. If you look at their assessment of the areas in terms of deprivation and regeneration their view is that Manchester certainly fulfils the criteria. Asked if the Government expected there to be any legal challenges, the PMOS said it would entirely be a matter for them, we should recognise that if we ask an independent body to reach an honest assessment and it does then we should take note of that honest assessment. What Tessa Jowell has indicated is that the initial impression is that of an honest assessment of the various criteria and therefore let us see where we end up.
Asked if John Prescott had no particular bearing on the fact that one of the largest casinos will be in his constituency, the PMOS said that the recommendations are made by an independent advisory panel and that speaks for itself.
Asked as the Prime Minister had nothing to do with the recommendations what does he think of the choice of Manchester for a super casino, the PMOS said that it was a choice made by an independent panel and I suspect that the Prime Minister was glad that an independent panel had to make these choices rather than him. Asked if he would congratulate Manchester, the PMOS said he would congratulate Manchester on coming out on top but obviously the others all put in very strong bids.
Asked if this was merely a conspiratorial way of sidestepping a political row, the PMOS suggested that the inconvenient fact is that this was an independent panel and anyone who listened to the professor speak found a very cogent argument as to why he reached the conclusion he did.
Monsieur Sarkozy
Asked what was discussed at the Sarkozy lunch, the PMOS said that it was a wide-ranging discussion, as you might imagine, which went over Europe, the Middle East, and other relevant issues climate change included. As you’d expect its range was wide. Asked what was on the menu and more importantly was the chef French, the PMOS said if the reporter waited half an hour or so he would cook up a response.
Asked if there were any plans for the Prime Minister to meet Madam Marie-Ségolène Royal, the PMOS said, as he had said this morning, if Madam Royal were to come to London and asked to meet the Prime Minister, he was sure the Prime Minister would meet up with her but it is entirely a matter for her.
Asked if the discussions with Monsieur Sarkozy were in French, the PMOS said that quite a lot of it was in French, as the Prime Minister enjoys speaking in French which is a bit of a bind for those of us who are less fluent
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