Briefing from the Prime Minister’s spokesman on: Frank cocaine campagin, Heathrow, Speaker of the House and mortgage announcement
Frank Cocaine Campaign
Asked what the campaign was, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that it was a Home Office campaign, warning people of the dangers of using cocaine.
Heathrow
Asked why the Government had postponed its decision on Heathrow, the PMS replied that as he had said this morning, we had conducted two consultation exercises on the proposed third runway at Heathrow and there was a considerable amount of data and information that needed to be analysed. This would enable us to take a decision that would be based on a comprehensive evaluation of that information.
Asked what had changed, the PMS said that people needed to bear in mind that the most recent consultation only ended on the 9th November. That, along with the technical reports and impact assessments needed to be analysed in full. The judgement from the department was that to give them time to fully consider all the information, people should expect a decision in January.
Speaker of the House
Put that the Prime Minister had said that he had full confidence in the Speaker, the PMS replied that as he had said this morning, it was the Prime Minister’s view that we should all support the Speaker’s decision to review the rules so that MP’s could continue to do their jobs while ensuring that no one was above the law.
Put that the Speaker spoke of an urgent and immediate inquiry yesterday and why did that need to wait until after the police inquiry, the PMS said that the Speaker asked the Government to prepare the motion and in the course of doing that we took legal advice. That legal advice was that the police investigation should come first.
Asked why the Government had tabled the motion, the PMS replied that the Speaker could not table the motion and he asked the Government to draw up and table the motion on his behalf. Asked why the opposition couldn’t have done it, the PMS said that the Speaker had asked the Government to do it and that was what we were doing.
Asked if there were any other leak inquiries going on, the PMS said that that was a question for individual departments. Asked if there was a leak inquiry at Downing Street, the PMS said not that he was aware of.
Asked why the Leader of the House was unable to say she had full confidence in the Speaker, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had addressed that question during his interview on Five Live earlier today. Asked if the Prime Minister had full confidence in Jill Pay, the PMS replied that as he had said this morning, that was not a question for the Prime Minister; it was for the House of Commons authorities and the Speaker.
Mortgage Announcement
Asked why he thought it was that the eight organisations mentioned by the Prime Minister seemed to be caught on the hop by the announcement, the PMS said that that would be the journalist’s description. The comments made by the companies publicly on the repossessions announcement were very supportive. The Government was responding to developments in the economy that needed swift action.
Asked if any other meetings had taken place since the announcement, the PMS said people should check with the Treasury and DCLG.
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