Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: President Putin, Cannabis Reclassification and Iraq/Equipment Shortages.
President Putin
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister had had a twenty-minute phonecall with President Putin today. It was the first time the two leaders had spoken this year and the phonecall had been part of their ongoing conversation on a range of bilateral and international issues. The discussion today had focussed on Iraq and the UN meeting earlier this week, as well as the usual bilateral issues. The Prime Minister and President continued to enjoy an excellent relationship. A joint UK-Russia trade conference was due to take place in June.
Cannabis Reclassification
Asked why the Opposition Leader should be expected to say whether he had ever smoked cannabis when the Prime Minister was unwilling to do so, the PMOS said that if he was being asked about the Prime Minister, he would remind journalists that we never responded to surveys, as he had said this morning. He thought the Home Secretary had been engaging in a bit of ‘political knockabout’ this morning. Asked if he was implying that Mr Blunkett had not been serious in asking if the Opposition Leader had ever smoked cannabis, the PMOS repeated that he had interpreted Mr Blunkett’s remarks as a bit of political knockabout. As he understood it, the Opposition Leader had given his answer ten days ago. Asked if he thought it a ‘wise move’ on the part of the Home Secretary to get caught up in this matter when the Government was trying to launch a serious information campaign, the PMOS repeated that he would file Mr Blunkett’s comments this morning under the category of ‘political knockabout’. Clearly there was a difference of view between the Government and the Opposition regarding the reclassification of cannabis. We were more than happy to debate the issue. The Government continued to believe that the measure had been the right one to take for the reasons he had set out this morning. Put to him that it appeared the Home Secretary did not want to debate the issue on that level, the PMOS said he hardly thought that the Home Secretary engaging on the issue of cannabis on the Today Programme this morning and in other interviews was an indication that he was discussing it in any way other than seriously. He would simply categorise the part of the interview in question as a bit of political knockabout. It was not unusual in political interviews and it was no big deal. Asked if an ‘instruction’ had been given to Ministers to debate the issue seriously, the PMOS no because that was what they were already doing. He pointed out that the fact that the Government had asked for advice from the Advisory Council on Drug Misuse was a strong indication that it had treated the matter very seriously indeed.
Iraq/Equipment Shortages
Asked for a reaction to comments by Lt. Col. James Cowan of the BlackWatch who had criticised equipment shortages in Iraq, the PMOS said that the Permanent Secretary at the MoD, Sir Kevin Tebbit, had set out very clearly yesterday the detailed arrangements regarding the equipment which had been given out to our armed forces who had won a tremendous victory in Iraq. He said it was worth pointing out that, under this Government, investment in our armed forces and the budget for the MoD had risen in real terms. Asked if the Prime Minister was taking Lt. Col. Cowan’s criticisms seriously, the PMOS said that of course the Prime Minister listened to what people had to say. Our forces had done a superb and professional job in Iraq. It was important that people did not lose sight of the additional funding which the Government had given our armed forces and, as the NAO’s independent report had pointed out, the logistical successes that went alongside it in Iraq. He acknowledged that there was an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Sergeant Roberts. He did not know when it would report.
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