Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Probation Bill, Iraq-Iran/Syria, Air Passenger Duty, Airbus Restructuring, Future Shape of Government, Super Casinos and Home Office Reorganisation
Probation Bill
Asked if the Prime Minister was expecting defeat on the Probation Bill this evening, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that today was the day to put the arguments to the backbenchers. The important thing was to recognise that given the re-offending rate, while the probation service did a lot of good work, the status quo would not resolve this issue. The lesson was that no single sector could tackle this problem alone. Probation officers needed to be supplemented by other sectors - voluntary, private, charitable - to ensure that the situation could be turned around. The public sector could not do all that needed to be done in this area.
Asked if the Prime Minister would be voting, the PMOS replied that he had not checked, but anticipated that the Prime Minister would be voting.
Iraq-Iran/Syria
Asked if the Prime Minister would be discussing new American thinking on Iraq with King Abdullah later today, specifically opening talks with Syria and Iran, the PMOS replied that firstly the Americans had always said that they would take part in the Contact Group, this was not new. Secondly, in terms of Iran and Syria, the issue was not contact, the issue was their response, and whether they engaged properly, and whether we would see a constructive attitude. Meeting was good, but results had to flow from these meetings. We welcomed contact, but equally we wanted to see hard concrete results - both on the ground in Iraq, on the ground in Lebanon, and on the ground in terms of influence used in Palestine as well. Those were the results that we were looking for.
Asked what level of officials would be attending the proposed meeting with Iran & Syria to discuss Iraq, the PMOS replied that he did not know offhand, but it would be the appropriate level for the Contact Group. To stress again, people needed to keep this in context. This was a Contact Group, something we had always strongly supported. But equally we were looking for the response from Iran and Syria in reality, not just in rhetoric.
Air Passenger Duty
Put to him that Ryanair, British Airways and Easyjet had all said that air passenger duty was merely a "tax grab" and not an environmental matter, and asked if the Prime Minister had a view ion this, the PMOS replied that the Prime Minister’s view was that the Treasury had set out the reasons, and it was better that the Treasury were the ones to talk about it.
Airbus Restructuring
Asked in advance for a line on the Airbus restructuring announcement, the PMOS replied that it was important ahead of the announcement to bear in mind that this was an issue with which DTI had been very heavily engaged in terms of talking to the company to ensure that UK interests were well aired. We hoped people would see that Airbus and Airbus workers would still have a very good and sustainable future in this country.
Future Shape of Government
Asked if the Prime Minister welcomed the fact that former Ministers were discussing the future shape of Government today, the PMOS replied that it was a very good attempt to draw him into party business.
Super Casinos
Asked if the Prime Minister still believed that the decision of the panel should stand, the PMOS replied that Tessa Jowell had set out the Department’s thinking on the day of the announcement. She said that she wanted to look at the recommendation, but she was minded to accept it. We were still at the process of examining the recommendation.
Asked if the issue had been formally discussed in Cabinet since, the PMOS replied that he did no believe that it had.
Asked if the Prime Minister was aware of the degree of concern over this issue within the Parliamentary Party, the PMOS replied that this was a matter to be formerly considered by the Department, and therefore it was better that we left it to them.
Home Office Reorganisation
Put to him that plans for a reorganisation of the Home Office had been put to the Prime Minister, and asked if there was a timetable for a decision, and had the Prime Minister had discussions with SIS on the matter, the PMOS replied that as he had said yesterday, reports that the SIS might have to report to the Home Secretary were just wrong. As we said at the time when the issue first came up, this was a serious issue that needed serious consideration. That process was well under way. People would understand given the seriousness, why it would time to work the issue through.
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