Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Iraq and China.
Iraq
Asked why the Prime Minister had not been on the frontbench for the Defence Secretary’s Statement this afternoon, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that the Prime Minister was obviously aware of what Mr Hoon was going to say. Indeed, he had articulated the case himself twice today. Rather than address marginal issues, such as who was sitting on the frontbench, it was important for people to address the substance of the matter - i.e. that issues highlighted by the ICRC had already been under investigation or had been dealt with by the time the interim report had been received last February.
Asked to explain why Adam Ingram had told the House last week that he had not been aware of any reports, whereas Geoff Hoon had said today that Mr Ingram had had a meeting with the ICRC last year, the PMOS said that Mr Hoon had simply been pointing out that Mr Ingram had met the ICRC President in May last year. Asked about a meeting in April 2004 which Mr Hoon had mentioned, the PMOS said that that had been with officials.
Asked if he was able to shed any more light on the allegations relating to the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and the SIB’s indication that the vehicle in which the photos had been taken had not been in Iraq during the relevant period, the PMOS said that he had nothing further to add to what Mr Hoon had said about this matter. It was important to exercise a little patience and allow the SIB to continue with their investigations. Questioned further, the PMOS said that the SIB was still trying to obtain corroborative evidence and it would therefore not be helpful to pre-empt what their conclusions might be.
Asked when Ministers had actually seen the ICRC’s interim February report, the PMOS said that they would have seen it only once this controversy had blown up. The reason why it had not been necessary for Ministers to have seen it was because officials would have been given the report in strict confidence, in accordance with the way the ICRC operated, and it had been felt that the issues which needed to be dealt with had not required Ministerial decisions. In answer to further questions about reports from the ICRC, the PMOS said that we would be perfectly happy for the interim report, as well as the second report which showed that we had addressed any concerns, to be published. However, they were not our reports to do with as we liked. The view had been taken by officials that since measures had already been taken, it had not been necessary to publish them. It was also important to bear in mind that the report had been drawn up for the CPA and had been copied to us. It was not our report.
China
Asked if the UK would support China in its efforts to have the EU weapons embargo lifted, the PMOS said that it was an issue that was under review by the EU. A final decision would have to be taken by the EU as a whole.
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