Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Zimbabwe/Cricket, British Embassy in Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Defence Spending, Constitutional Reforms and Guantanamo Bay.
Zimbabwe/Cricket
Asked if Downing Street agreed with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ruling that it was the responsibility of the Government to decide whether the England cricket team should tour Zimbabwe later in the year, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the Government had been in contact with the England Cricket Board (ECB). As he understood it, the ECB was reflecting on these issues at the moment and would reach a decision shortly. Put to him that the ICC had suggested that one way for the ECB to withdraw from the Test Series against Zimbabwe without being penalised was if the British Government openly and actively discouraged them from going, the PMOS said that we had been in discussion with the ECB about this matter. There had also been correspondence between the ECB and the Foreign Office, the details upon which the ECB was currently reflecting. Asked what Downing Street’s view on the matter was, the PMOS said that we had underlined to the ECB the seriousness of the situation in Zimbabwe and our serious concerns about the Mugabe regime. They were now reflecting on our advice. This was part of a discussion process which would lead to a decision being taken by the ECB. Asked if we would take the decision rather than leave it to the ECB - thereby enabling them to avoid a fine, the PMOS said that the Government had given advice but the final decision was for the ECB. Asked if the Government would offer compensation for any financial losses that the ECB might incur, the PMOS said that, as he understood it, compensation had not been offered.
British Embassy in Kuwait
Asked to confirm reports that the British Embassy in Kuwait had been shut down for three weeks due to a financial crisis, the PMOS said that we had checked the story with the Foreign Office who had said that the Embassy would not, in fact, be closing down. Put to him that Consular services at the Embassy would be affected, the PMOS said that, as he understood it, the story had been about the Embassy shutting down. That would not be happening. Asked if the Government would accept that funding for the Embassy was inadequate, the PMOS said that thanks to the way the Government was managing the economy, we were able to invest record sums into our public services. No one could be in any doubt that all Departments, including the Foreign Office, had been given generous settlements in the last Spending Review. There wasn’t an unlimited pot of money, which was why it was important for people and Departments to manage their budgets effectively and work within the settlements that had been provided.
Northern Ireland
Asked what the Prime Minister hoped to achieve from his continuing meetings with the Northern Ireland parties and his meeting with the Taoiseach tomorrow, the PMOS said that the Good Friday Agreement was currently under review. The Prime Minister was touching base with the parties because he wanted to hear their views on how matters were progressing, as well as their ideas as to how to move the process forward. As he had told the House two weeks ago in answer to a question from David Trimble, we wanted to see an end to all paramilitary activity - a statement which had been amplified by the Northern Ireland Secretary, Paul Murphy, this morning. The Prime Minister was meeting the Taoiseach tomorrow not only to discuss Northern Ireland issues, but also European matters in the light of the fact that Ireland currently held the EU Presidency and he wanted to look ahead to the forthcoming European Council in Brussels with the Taoiseach.
Asked if there had been any developments following Mr Trimble’s call for Sinn Fein to be excluded from the process, the PMOS said that the review was still continuing. A police investigation was also ongoing. The Prime Minister’s views on paramilitary activity had been made crystal clear in the House two weeks ago. They had not changed. Asked if the Government would be referring the matter raised by Mr Trimble to the Independent Monitoring Commission, as Mr Murphy had suggested this morning, the PMOS acknowledged that the Government had concerns about continuing paramilitary activity. We now had an oversight body that was able to look at these issues. Mr Murphy’s words this morning spoke for themselves.
Defence Spending
Asked for a reaction to today’s Times story suggesting that the Defence Secretary had written to the Prime Minister to complain about proposed Treasury cuts to the defence budget, the PMOS said that the next spending review would be in the summer, as was well known. This was not the first time that stories about departmental budgets had appeared in advance of a spending review. It seemed to be a fact of political life. However, in relation to the MoD’s budget, it was important to remember that, far from there being cuts as had been suggested last night, the 2002 spending review was delivering the biggest increases in defence spending for twenty years. For example, we had met the costs of Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and the war on terror. We would continue to ensure that our armed forces were equipped to do the difficult job that the Government asked of them. Asked to clarify apparently differing views regarding the MoD’s spending limit, the PMOS said that he had no intention of engaging in a public debate about departmental spending negotiations, as he did not think it was appropriate to do so. It was right for those discussions to take place and for announcements to be made in the usual way. Simply because stories appeared in newspapers did not mean that we should change our practices.
Constitutional Reforms
Asked if the Government had decided what steps to take in the light of Monday’s defeat in the Lords on the Constitutional Reform Bill, the PMOS said that confidential discussions were continuing through the usual channels, as part of the Parliamentary process, about the way forward. What had happened on Monday was unprecedented. The Hare Coursing Bill in 1975 was the last time such a situation had occurred. In answer to further questions as to how the Government might proceed in the light of today’s Times story, the PMOS said that he had seen a number of different scenarios in the press. At this stage we were in discussion mode. Since they had not yet concluded, he was unable to give the clarity journalists wanted.
Guantanamo Bay
Asked if we were any nearer a resolution on the four remaining British detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the PMOS said that we had never put a timescale on this process. Everybody accepted that these were difficult and complex issues and that the individual cases were all different. The fact that five British detainees had now returned to the UK showed the level of engagement between ourselves and the US Administration.
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