Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Intelligence Select Committee Report, Euro and Reshuffle.
Intelligence Select Committee Report
Asked for a reaction to the recommendation in the Intelligence Select Committee’s (ISC) report that the Prime Minister should have a dedicated airplane with secure communications the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that there were no current plans for a dedicated plane for the Prime Minister. In relation to the possible specifications of other planes the PMOS said that it was a security matter and thus he had no comment.
Asked to comment on suggestions elsewhere in the report that ministers and the Prime Minister weren’t sufficiently engaged in intelligence matters across the board, the PMOS said he didn’t believe that was what the committee had said. The PMOS said that the Prime Minister had expressed many times on the record his admiration for the work of the intelligence services and the reliance he puts on them. In respect of the report the PMOS said he would simply point out that it had said that in terms of the September dossier the agencies were fully consulted on the production of the dossier, which was assembled by the assessment staff, endorsed by the Joint Intelligence Committee and issued by the Prime Minister.
Asked when the Prime Minister would be meeting the Intelligence Select Committee, the PMOS said that were meeting today and the meeting should be concluding at roughly 4pm. The PMOS made it clear though that it was a discussion of the annual report rather than a specific meeting concerning the dossier. However the Select Committee was entitled to raise whatever issues it felt were necessary as part of the discussion. The PMOS told journalists that the ISC didn’t give a running commentary on its work and it would wrong for Downing Street to do so on their behalf.
Asked if there had been any guidelines in place during the publishing of the dossier in February as to the treatment of intelligence material the PMOS said on a purely factual basis the February document was referred to by himself at the time as a briefing paper and was different in character to the September dossier. The PMOS said that he himself had admitted the following morning quite openly that mistakes had been made in terms of not attributing material and had said procedures would have to be tightened as a result. Those procedures were tightened after that. Questioned further the PMOS said that the fact that we tightened procedures indicated that the procedures in place at that time had not applied to those particular circumstances.
Asked if the Prime Minister or Alastair Campbell would appear before the ISC if requested the PMOS repeated that the Prime Minister had met them today and it was right and proper that we wait and see what came out of that conversation. The Prime Minister was perfectly relaxed about talking to them but the normal conventions applied. Questioned further on this the PMOS reminded journalists that the ISC did not give a running commentary on their actions and he was not going to do it for them. Asked if he expected the ISC to see the Prime Minister before the next annual meeting the PMOS said that was an entirely a matter for the ISC. To clarify for the benefit of journalists the PMOS repeated that he had briefed last week that the Prime Minister would have a discussion with the ISC today and it was entirely up to them what they discussed. That was the normal convention. It was equally however the case that the normal convention of the ISC is that they do not provide a running commentary of what they do and thus it would be entirely wrong for the PMOS to breach that normal convention. Asked if that meant there should be a public enquiry the PMOS said that the ISC operated the way it did for very good reasons because of the kind of material which it deals with. The PMOS said he felt there was a danger that people were overlooking the significance of what the ISC did say about the way were procedures were properly carried through in September and he felt it would be a pity if people ignored the evidence in front of them.
Euro
Asked about the format of the "Euro Roadshows" mentioned by the Chancellor that morning, the PMOS said he was not in a position to give chapter and verse about what that will mean. Both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have signaled their willingness to take on the argument and the debate, both on Europe in general and on the Euro following the statement yesterday. Questioned further the PMOS said he felt the important thing was that the government got the substance right and that the work begins on the measures that Chancellor outlined yesterday and today.
Reshuffle
Asked if there would be a reshuffle that week the PMOS referred journalists to the briefing the previous day.
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