Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Hamas, Sir Ian Blair, Education Select Committee report and QinetiQ Shares
Hamas
Put that Dr. Rice had called on governments to stop giving aid to Palestine until Hamas renounced violence, and what was our position on it, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that the Prime Minister stated the position yesterday when he said that obviously, we did respect the mandate, and that the elections had taken place. Equally, however, as the Prime Minister had said, Hamas now had a choice to make between the political route and the violent route. We had to wait and see what choice Hamas made, but we were absolutely clear in terms of Hamas’ need to make that choice.
Put that there was ongoing aid work trying to establish a framework for the Palestinians authority because of the pullout, and did that work go ahead, or was it on "freeze", the PMOS said that obviously, people would need some time to assess the implications of yesterday’s election. Equally, what would be absolutely critical in that assessment process would be whether Hamas made the right choice; the ball was in Hamas’ court, and we should not pretend otherwise. Therefore, in essence, the first choice was that of Hamas’.
Sir Ian Blair
Asked if we agreed with what he had said, the PMOS replied that Sir Ian Blair had spoken himself this morning. It was therefore better for him to set out what he was he was trying to say, and also he had made an apology. The PMOS said it was best left there.
Education Select Committee report
Asked for the No10 reaction to the Education Select Committee report on the White Paper, the PMOS said that what we recognised and welcomed was that there was support for independent trust schools and for local education authorities having a strategic role. We welcomed what the report had said on that, and we believed that it was a serious piece of work. We also noted that the Chairman had said that it was a good White Paper, with suggestions as to some things that might be "defined". We would study those suggestions, and give our response in due course. Fundamentally, people had to recognise that it did support independent trust schools.
QinetiQ Shares
Asked if the Prime Minister was happy with the value that was obtained for QinetiQ shares in the first sale, the PMOS replied that John Reid had set out the position on that this morning. The Government had only sold a minority share, and the taxpayers had benefited from an 8 times increase in value, as well as other investors.
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