Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Hutton Inquiry and other matters.
Hutton Inquiry
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman told journalists that the leaders of the Opposition were being informed that they would be able to get access to the Hutton report from 6am on Wednesday 28th January, about double the time that opposition parties were given on the release of the Scott Report, even though in that instance the Government had had the report for eight days as opposed to 24 hours as in this case.
Asked what time we were expecting Lord Hutton’s judgment, the PMOS told journalists that would be a matter for Lord Hutton to announce. Asked if Downing Street had received any indication of the time, the PMOS repeated that that was a mater for Lord Hutton although it should be about double the time available during the Scott report. Asked how much time that had been, the PMOS said he believed it had been about 3 hours. Asked what time copies would be made available to the press the PMOS said that was also a matter for Lord Hutton to announce.
Asked whether the Prime Minister would be making a statement at the first opportunity, the PMOS said he would, although again it would depend on the timing of Lord Hutton’s statement and that would be for him to announce. Put to him that it would be mid-day according to the figures he had given, the PMOS repeated that it would be ‘about’ double the time but he couldn’t get into precise details until other details had been sorted.
Asked why the Opposition didn’t get 24 hours given that the Government would, the PMOS said that first and foremost it was the convention that parties to an enquiry got advance notice of a report before others did. It was also normal convention that Government got advance notice before other parties. In this case the Government agreed with Lord Hutton that that was not appropriate and we should get advance copies at the same time as other people who were parties to the inquiry. We however still believed it was right that the parties to the inquiry should get the report some time before other people did. We also believed that 6am did give people plenty of time to prepare. Asked if we would be sending the copies or whether there would be a "lock in", the PMOS said he wasn’t going to use the term "lock in", the opposition parties would go to the Cabinet Office and be shown copies there. Asked when Downing Street were expecting copies of the report, the PMOS said that we had been told that as parties to the enquiry we would get it 24 hours beforehand. Asked if Downing Street would then receive it at noon, the PMOS said that that question was asking him to be precise and he couldn’t be precise because that was a matter for Lord Hutton.
Asked what time the vote on the Higher Education Bill would be, the PMOS said that that was a matter for the Business Statement and thus it was for Peter Hain to announce rather than Downing Street.
Asked if the Government was inviting specific members of the Opposition to attend the Cabinet Office, the PMOS said that we had presumed it would be the leader plus the Foreign affairs spokesmen in both circumstances but it was for them if they wanted two other people. Asked if two each would be the limit, the PMOS said yes.
Asked if smaller parties would be allowed to attend, the PMOS said it was the convention that the main two opposition parties would be allowed. Put to him that that with the SNP not being considered might be considered as ’snub to Scotland’ the PMOS said that he would hate to deprive journalists of their headlines.
Asked if the BBC should have their cameras outside the Cabinet Office at 6am then, the PMOS said it was entirely a matter for the BBC. The days when he had to concern himself with BBC camera crews were thankfully long gone.
Questioned as to whether we set the timing for the Education Bill last Tuesday in the knowledge of when the Hutton report was going to be published, the PMOS said that we had heard that the Hutton report was going to be on the 28th yesterday. Asked if we had a strong inkling of the timing when we set the vote on the Higher Education Bill for the 27th, the PMOS said he did not recognise that line of questioning in any way. Lord Hutton had made his own decision; we had not known that decision until yesterday. Asked if we had been surprised, the PMOS said it was entirely a matter for Lord Hutton, the situation was, as the situation was and we would deal with as it was. It was not up to us to in any way to indicate anything other than the fact that we accepted Lord Hutton’s decision.
Asked if Lord Hutton had taken any sounding from Downing Street with regards to timing, the PMOS said that he had said consistently every time he had been asked about contact between Downing Street and Lord Hutton, that it was entirely a matter for Lord Hutton to talk, if he wished to, about contact between him and the parties, he was not going to break that convention. Asked if Lord Hutton had given Downing Street any guidance as to his thinking on a possible date, the PMOS said that Lord Hutton chose the date entirely by himself, he was not going into details about contact between Downing Street and Lord Hutton and he was not going to get drawn into processology. What mattered was entirely what the report said. Put to him that it was not merely processology but that the timing of the report had significantly affected the character of the vote on the Higher Education Bill and asked what time last Tuesday was a firm decision taken about the 27th, the PMOS said if journalists looked back at last Tuesday’s Press Briefing note he had confirmed on the record, to the lobby in that very room that the vote would be on the 27th. He did that because he was asked the question not because there was any doubt that the vote would be on the 27th. Asked if in that case the decision had been taken some time earlier, the PMOS said yes. He was simply asked the question and responded to the question, that was all he was doing. Asked why he hadn’t confirmed the date at the morning briefing the PMOS said he thought he had confirmed the 27th that morning. He had been very surprised when it was interpreted otherwise, which was why when he was given the opportunity in the afternoon he absolutely clarified the position. There was no other significance in that and he was afraid that the conspiracy theorists were to be disappointed. Asked when precisely a final decision was taken about the 27th the PMOS said he could not tell journalists the precise timing of that, he was not going to get into that kind of processology question. The important point, which we were in danger of missing, was that Lord Hutton made his announcement, the Government did not know about his announcement until he had made his decision and that was all that remained to be said. Put to him that by not denying that Lord Hutton had not been in touch with Downing Street things were open to speculation, the PMOS said that although he was being invited to talk about contacts between Lord Hutton and the parties, he was not prepared to do that.
Other Matters
Asked if the Secretary of State for the Defence still enjoyed the full confidence of the Prime Minister, the PMOS said yes. Asked why the Prime Minister still had confidence in him, the PMOS said that the Defence Secretary had led a successful campaign in Iraq, which had been completed in 4 weeks.
Asked when the defence Secretary would meet Mrs Roberts, the PMOS said he believed it was hoped to be next week but that was up to Mrs Roberts.
Asked about the inquiry in to the death of Tom McKendall in Israel the PMOS said that he was not aware of the full details of that issue and suggested journalists contact the Foreign Office.
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