Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: French Referendum, Machinery of Government, G8 Security Costs and the BBC Strike.
French Referendum
Asked if Jack Straw had been getting unduly involved in the French referendum on the EU constitution by expressing his wish that the French people voted yes, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS), said that as a government we hoped that people across Europe supported the constitution because we supported it as well. That certainly did not constitute interference.
Machinery of Government
Asked what the point of today’s changes in the machinery of Government were, the PMOS said that it was all covered in the Press Note. It was a sensible re-arrangement of Government.
Asked which department would be taking a lead on the issue of Respect, the PMOS said that the question was based on a false premise. Respect had many different elements to it. As the Prime Minister had said himself on election day outside number 10, part of that agenda was something that Government could not deliver, concerning the responsibility of parents, and what happens in schools and so on. On some aspects there were very direct things the Government could do and was already doing. In terms of the Home Office with ASBOs, equally the ODPM in terms of communities, or in education where, as the Prime Minister had said, there was a dialogue to be had with headmasters about school discipline and so on. There were various different elements. The important thing was that Government as a whole brought together its thinking. Over time people would see how this was happening, not necessarily with one department but as a cross-departmental issue. Asked if there was any department which would be taking the lead on the issue, the PMOS said that it would be better if we waited until announcements were made concerning how we managed the cross departmental issues within Government. He recognised that there was a need for the threads being drawn together from across the Government and thought was being put into that.
G8 Security Costs
Put to him that the costs of the G8 conference in Gleneagles might not be value for money, the PMOS said that the details of costs were down to the local authorities and responsible departments. No one was pretending that the inevitable security involved could be done cheaply, it couldn’t. Equally however it was a showcase to the world and therefore people would recognise the value of that. Asked what the precise value was, the PMOS said that the value was that people from all over the world would be focussed on Gleneagles and Scotland as a whole. There was a clear value in terms of international prestige to hosting such a major international event. The PMOS told journalists that if they spoke to the devolved government in Scotland they would agree. In terms of security of course we all wished that we could return to the days of less security, but given the threat of international terrorism we couldn’t do that.
BBC Strike
Asked what the Government had to say about the strike by BBC staff today, the PMOS said that it was a matter for the BBC. Put to him that it was matter for the Government because of the BBC’s role as a public service broadcaster, the PMOS said it was the responsibility of the BBC management to deal with personnel issues within the BBC as set out in the charter. Put to him that the had Government commented on all sorts of strikes in the past, the PMOS said that he had nothing further to say on the matter.
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