Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Constitutional Reform Bill, Lords Reform and GM Crops.
Constitutional Reform Bill
Asked if a decision had been made as to the Government’s response to the vote in the House of Lords last night on the Constitutional Reform Bill, the PMOS said the Government was still reflecting. The position remained as it was this morning. Asked to re-iterate what the position this morning had been, the PMOS said that obviously last night’s vote was a serious matter and the Government wanted to make progress and achieve the reforms we had set out to achieve - that was a Secretary of State who could devote all of their energy to the DCA and the running and the reform of the Court system, an independent judicial appointments system and a Supreme Court. Following last night, the Government needed to reflect on how we would achieve that result, and that we would do. Asked why the Government wanted a Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs who could concentrate solely on his department but not a Secretary of State for Transport who could do the same, the PMOS said that people should look at different cases in different ways. It was always a mistake to make simplistic readings from one case of affairs to anther. We had set out the reasoning for Scotland and Wales when the changes had been announced last year.
Lords Reform
Asked when the Lord’s reform Bill would be published, the PMOS said he didn’t expect it this week. Asked if there was any particular reason for the delay, the PMOS assured journalists that it was nothing out of the ordinary. Put to him that the Government was not going to be able to achieve a non-amendable Lords Reform Bill, the PMOS said that the time to discuss these matters was when the Bill was published.
GM Foods
Asked if the Prime Minister ate Genetically Modified products, the PMOS said that the Prime Minister fully supported the decision announced by Margaret Beckett today. The important thing was that the Government had listened to scientific advice and that advice was clear. Asked if that was a ‘no’ then, the PMOS said it was an answer to the substantive question concerning the announcement this afternoon.
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