Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Tony Benn/Saddam Hussein Interview, Anti-War Rally, Lords Reform, Anglo-French Summit and Health/Chancellor.
Tony Benn/Saddam Hussein Interview
Asked the Prime Minister’s opinion about Channel 4 News paying £70,000 to broadcast an interview between Tony Benn and Saddam Hussein, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that he was not aware of the details of the deal that had reportedly been agreed. That said, we would hope that in any interview Saddam would answer the outstanding questions posed by Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei. In any event, we hoped those questions had been put to him by Mr Benn. Asked if it was acceptable for Channel 4 News to pay such a large sum given the fact that it was publicly funded, the PMOS said that it was up to Channel 4 News to judge whether any interview it carried met the journalistic standards that were expected of an organisation of its calibre. It was for others to judge whether the interview itself - due to be broadcast tonight - reached those standards. Asked if the Government would be concerned if the interview turned out to be a propaganda exercise organised by the Iraqi regime, the PMOS said that no one had seen the interview yet and in his experience it was a mistake to pre-judge such things. Journalists would be able to judge the interview for themselves once they had seen it.
Anti-War Rally
Questioned as to why the Government appeared to have done a U-turn by allowing Hyde Park to be used for the anti-war rally scheduled for 15 February, the PMOS said that talk of U-turns and the like were wholly inaccurate. We had underlined from the outset that this was not a matter for politicians, but the authorities which controlled the Royal Parks. The initial decision not to allow the rally to go ahead in Hyde Park had been made on the grounds of safety. As he understood it, the Royal Parks authorities now hoped that, in consultation with the organisers of the rally, they would be able to organise the event safely.
Lords Reform
Asked whether the Prime Minister would return from the Anglo-French Summit in time to vote, the PMOS said that it depended on aeroplanes, traffic lights and similar types of technological wonders. The aim was to get back in time to vote, but we would have to wait and see what happened.
Asked if the Government was committed to going ahead with some sort of reform of the House of Lords, the PMOS said that the Government was committed to listening to the votes of both Houses today. Once the outcome of the votes was known, the Joint Committee would discuss the matter again. We would have to wait and see what might emerge as a result of that. It was important to take this issue step by step. Asked if he was implying that at the moment we were only committed to listening to what people had to say, the PMOS said that the Government had made a commitment to reform the Lords and had already started the process to do so. Pressed as to whether it remained the Government’s intention to introduce legislation to reform the Lords in this Parliament, the PMOS repeated that it was important for people to take things one step at a time. Following the votes this evening, matter would be referred back to the Joint Committee. That was where we were.
Asked if it was conceivable that the Government would legislate on something with which the Prime Minister disagreed, the PMOS reminded journalists that the Prime Minister had allowed a free vote on this matter. In that spirit, he had given his very clear view as to which option he believed was the best way forward. Others had given their view, as was perfectly right and proper. It was now a matter for Parliament. Asked if there was any significance in the fact that the Prime Minister was intending to vote this evening, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister believed it was important for him to cast his vote in the same way that others cast theirs. It was called parliamentary democracy.
Anglo-French Summit
Questioned about today’s Anglo-French Summit in Le Touquet, the PMOS drew journalists’ attention to the end-of-summit press conference held by President Chirac and the Prime Minister this afternoon in which the President had underlined the warmth and depth of his relationship with the Prime Minister. Obviously that was a sentiment we would reciprocate.
Health/Chancellor
Asked if the Prime Minister shared the Chancellor’s analysis of the problems of injecting private finance into the NHS, the PMOS said that he had been asked this question this morning. The position had not changed since then. The Prime Minister believed that the Chancellor’s speech to the Social Market Foundation yesterday had been good.
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