Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: John McCain, National Security Statement, Iraq, Tibet, financial markets and British energy
John McCain
Asked if John McCain would be meeting the Prime Minister this week, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) replied that John McCain was expected to be in London later this week, and the Prime Minister was expected to meet him, but we were not in a position to confirm the exact details at this point.
National Security Statement
Asked to say more about the National Security Statement and in particular how a National Security Council would differ from ther National Security Cabinet Committee which currently existed, the PMS replied that it was better to wait until we made announcements before responding to them.
Asked how the Prime Minister saw the National Security Strategy, the PMS replied that this was something the Prime Minister had been talking about since he became Prime Minister, and in fact prior to that. This was about bringing together bringing together all of the main agencies and departments of Government who had an interest and a role in relation to security issues in the broadest possible sense. We would be publishing the national Security Strategy alongside it - looking in a comprehensive way across Government about everything we did that impacted on national security.
Iraq
Asked if there would be a visual commemoration on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war, the PMS replied that the Government did not have anything specific planned.
Asked if there would be any statement on troop numbers, the PMS replied that as and when we were in a position to update on troop numbers, we would make that announcement. But the National Security Strategy on Wednesday was about something much broader.
Asked about the letter to the Fabian Society regarding an inquiry, and if it was the Prime Minister’s view that as long as there were British soldiers in Iraq then there should not be an inquiry, the PMS replied that this gave him the opportunity to remind people that the letter itself did say that this Government had already acknowledged that there would come a time when it was appropriate to hold an inquiry, that was the position taken by the previous Prime Minister and the previous Foreign Secretary, and by this Prime Minister and this Foreign Secretary. So there was nothing new in the letter that was sent to the Fabian Society, it was nothing more than a statement of the existing Government position.
Asked to clarify that there would be an inquiry, but it was not appropriate to do so whilst soldiers were in the front line in Iraq, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister had made clear, most recently in September last year in his press conference, that "there would be a time to discuss the issues you raise, but for the moment nothing has changed, the security and safety of our forces, and there are more than 5,000 people in Iraq, remain the first and foremost consideration". This was his overriding priority.
Tibet
Asked for the Prime Minister’s view on the situation in Tibet, and had he spoken to any international leaders on this, the PMS replied that we were following with concern recent unrest in Tibet, as well as related incidents in India and Nepal, and had called on the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint. We had been discussing this matter with EU partners and the EU would be issuing a statement during the course of today. Bilaterally we had registered our concern on a daily basis with both the Chinese Government in Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in London.
Put that our reaction was rather muted compared to how we reacted to events in Burma last year, and was this because we did not want to upset diplomatic and trade relations with China, the PMS replied that we were taking this issue very seriously. We were raising it on a daily basis with the Chinese authorities, and we were concerned about what was being reported from Lhasa. Obviously it was difficult at the moment to establish what the full facts were.
Asked when the Dalai Lama visits London, in what guise would he meet the Prime Minister, as a foreign leader or as a religious leader, the PMS replied that issues relating to the Dalai Lama’s visit were still at very early stages. At the moment we were focusing all our efforts on the current situation in Tibet, we were registering our concerns with the Chinese authorities, and this was not the time to deal with particular arrangements relating to the Dalai Lama’s visit to the UK.
Asked at what level contacts with the Chinese had been made, officials or Ministers, the PM replied that it was best to check with the Foreign Office on that, but there had been contact between both the British Embassy in Beijing and the Chinese Government, and with the Chinese Embassy here in London.
Asked if the Prime Minister had been in contact with his counterpart, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister was being kept closely informed of the situation in relation to Tibet.
Asked if the Prime Minister was having second thoughts about going to Beijing later this year, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister was not having second thoughts.
Financial Markets
Asked if the Prime Minister had been taking an interest in what was going on in Wall Street, and was he involved actively in monitoring how world markets were reacting, the PMS replied of course, as you would expect. In particular the tripartite authorities here in the UK, the Bank of England, the Treasury, and the Financial Services Authority, had been in close contact with their US counterparts over the weekend and were continuing to closely monitor developments in the markets. On the more general issue of stability and international financial markets, this was an issue that was discussed extensively at the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday last week, and the Prime Minister would be updating the house on where those discussions got to this afternoon.
Asked what follow up there had been to the meeting here earlier this year, the PMS replied that the follow up to that meeting was that these issues were discussed first of all by ECOFIN, and then more generally by the European Council. They were also being discussed with the G7, and no doubt would be continue to be discussed going forward. But the Prime Minister would be updating the House on all of these matters this afternoon. He would be talking more generally about the discussions that took place at the European Council meeting where the broader question of stability and international financial markets was mentioned and discussed.
Asked if the Prime Minister had discussed this with his predecessor who was now an advisor to JP Morgan, the PMS replied that the Prime Minister talked regularly with his predecessor, but we wouldn’t normally comment on the content of those discussions.
British Energy
Asked about the sale of British Energy, and why after the Government had always said that it would keep a strategic stake, had we changed our mind, the PMS replied that British Energy was now in a formal offer period under the Takeover Code. BERR had issued a statement this morning, and there was nothing further that he could add.
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