Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: PM Speech, PM Berlusconi, Middle East, Lord Woolf/Constitutional Reforms and Parliamentary Ombudsman/Attorney General.
PM Speech
Asked about the Prime Minister’s speech tomorrow, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that it would be a rounded speech dealing with Iraq, WMD proliferation and international security issues. Asked the purpose of the speech, the PMOS said that there had been a lot of focus on all these issues in recent months, not just in relation to Iraq, but in a wider context as well. Tomorrow’s speech would provide an opportunity to bring some of these strands together.
PM Berlusconi
Asked if anything had come out of the Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister Berlusconi in Rome today, the PMOS said that as he understood it, a joint declaration had been issued.
Middle East
Asked if an announcement relating to the Middle East peace process was about to be made in the light of the number of meetings with foreign leaders and ministers from the region that had taken place this week and would continue to take place into the next, the PMOS said that the meetings were indicative of a desire on our part to try to move things forward and make progress. The sequence of visitors to the UK should not necessarily be seen as co-ordinated or presage some major announcement.
Lord Woolf/Constitutional Reforms
Asked if the Government was intending to ignore the criticisms expressed by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, regarding plans for a supreme court and changes to the asylum system, the PMOS said that Lord Woolf was entitled to set out his views. However, the Government remained committed to its programme of reform for the reasons that had been set out. It was perfectly legitimate for someone to contribute to a debate and for others to disagree with him. That was where we were. Put to him that Lord Woolf’s criticisms should be considered more serious than simply a contribution to a debate, the PMOS said that we would, of course, listen carefully to what the Lord Chief Justice had to say. But on the issue of asylum, for example, we were not proceeding in a way which was incompatible with our various legal obligations. We believed it was absolutely right for us to tackle the whole appeals process, which often saw cases being drawn out over the course of a year, if not longer. That could not possibly be in the interests of an asylum system which everyone wanted to see have integrity. Put to him that the Lord Chief Justice’s criticisms were more fundamental than that, the PMOS said that the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) had issued a statement last night making clear that none of the powers enjoyed by the current Law Lords would be lost and that a separation of powers was vital to maintain public confidence. Put to him that the Law Lords would no longer be members of the House of Lords, which would mean that they would lose their legislative role, the PMOS said that the independence of the judiciary would be upheld. The proposals had been brought forward only after extensive consultation. That was not to suggest, however, that every single member of the judiciary agreed with them. Nevertheless, we believed they were right for the reasons that had been set out. In answer to further questions, the PMOS said he realised that journalists were trying to get him to ratchet up the story on what was a comparatively slow political news day by inviting him to up his rhetoric and engage in some sort of war of words. However, he would have to decline the kind invitation. Asked how we would respond to the criticisms, the PMOS said by continuing with our programme of reform.
Parliamentary Ombudsman/Attorney General
Asked if a letter had been sent to the Parliamentary Ombudsman explaining why we would not be giving her a copy of the Attorney General’s legal advice on the Iraq conflict, the PMOS said not yet. Put to him that a letter was supposed to have been sent to her forty-eight hours ago, the PMOS said that contacts with the Parliamentary Ombudsman were continuing. At this stage, however, no letter had been issued.
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