Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Wicks Report, ISC Report, Hutton Inquiry, Iraq, Lockerbie and WTO.
Wicks Report
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Government’s response to the Wicks report would be published on Thursday - the same day as the ISC report on Iraq. We had intended to publish the Wicks report tomorrow, but Sir Nigel would be out of the country.
ISC Report
Asked if the Government would issue a response to the ISC report, the PMOS confirmed that a response would be given. Journalists would have to wait for Thursday to find in what format it would be. Asked if it would be a Prime Ministerial response, the PMOS said that the report would be published to Parliament by the Prime Minister. Journalists would simply have to exercise a little patience and wait for Thursday for further detail. Questioned further, the PMOS said that he was unable to give chapter and verse on the mechanics of the response at this stage. However, in the light of the fact that we had responded to the FAC report in July on the same day, with the understanding that a more detailed and considered response would be given at some point in the future, it was entirely possible that we would adopt something similar for the ISC. People would have to wait and see.
Hutton Inquiry
Asked if the Prime Minister or anyone else in Downing Street had received a letter from Lord Hutton inviting them back for stage two of his Inquiry, the PMOS said that he had answered the question this morning. Asked what he had said, the PMOS said that his reply was both on the wires and the Downing Street website.
Iraq
Asked about the costs of going to war on Iraq, the PMOS said that the Chancellor had set aside a £3bn special reserve in the Budget, both for the conflict and the reconstruction effort. As he understood it, it was estimated that around £1bn had been spent so far. There was also an allocation for DfID. £198m had been committed for the humanitarian front and a further £60m had been set aside by the Chancellor, additional to the £3bn reserve for the MoD. He said that these were all figures which were in the public domain.
Lockerbie
In answer to questions about the situation at the UN, the PMOS said that the situation there was clearly dynamic at the moment. As he had left to come to the press briefing, it was being reported that talks were continuing between France and Libya. As far as he was aware, however, it remained our intention to call a vote today. He encouraged journalists to stay in touch with the FCO.
WTO
Asked how much the British delegation to the WTO world trade talks in Cancun, Mexico, was costing, the PMOS said he didn’t know and suggested journalists spoke to the DTI.
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