Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Police Inquiry, Terror Raid and Cabinet
Police Inquiry
Asked for further clarification about Lord Levy’s travel arrangements, and the FCO’s role with regards to Lord Levy, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that Lord Levy travelled at his own expense, and received no remuneration on expenses. The FCO provided logistic support, including on occasion, official accommodation overseas. The FCO provided an office in London and one member of FCO staff to provide support services.
Asked if Lord Levy’s visits to Brazil and Kazakhstan were on Middle East business, the PMOS replied that if he got into talking about individual visits then it became a running commentary on Lord Levy’s activities.
Put that it could be assumed that Lord Levy would carry on with his role and that the Prime Minister had confidence in him, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister had made that clear when he was in Ramallah in December.
Asked if the Prime Minister had met Lord Levy today, the PMOS said he was not aware that he had.
Asked if the Prime Minister had spoken to Lord Levy today, the PMOS said that he did not think so.
Asked if any other No10 aides had been approached by the police, the PMOS replied not that he was aware of, but he was not going to give a running commentary.
Asked if the Prime Minister had been approached by the police, the PMOS replied that as he had said this morning, as far as he was concerned, nothing had changed.
Asked to clarify if "nothing had changed" meant no, the PMOS repeated that nothing had changed.
Asked "not changed from what", the PMOS said that this was the formulation he had used throughout.
Asked if the PMOS would only tell journalists if and when the Prime Minister was questioned again, the PMOS replied that he had nothing to say that would change his formulation in any way.
Asked who the Prime Minister sought advice from for nominating peerages, and was there any reason that he should not ask Lord Levy for advice, the PMOS said that the question was almost "Gibbon-esque" by trying to get him into commenting on an investigation. The PMOS said that he was not going to do that. The Prime Minister had made it clear throughout that he hoped people understood that these were party nominations for party positions in the House of Lords.
Terror Raid
Asked if the Prime Minister had any more thoughts on the developments in the Midlands on today’s terror raids, the PMOS said that the police had warned people that this was a live investigation, and therefore, everyone had to be very careful about what we said, and we also had to be careful about what we said in view of the possibility that there might be a trial at some stage. There would be a time and a place for Government comment, but this was not it at this stage.
Asked if the Prime Minister had been updated throughout the day on the situation, the PMOS said that he had.
Cabinet
Asked if the White paper on the House of Lords reform would be put before Cabinet tomorrow, the PMOS replied that it was.
Asked if the subject of a Home Office split would be put to Cabinet tomorrow, the PMOS said: no.
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