Asked whether the Government will be publishing the report today, the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) confirmed this is the case. Asked how it will be published, the PMS referred journalists to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Asked if this report has more status than any other submission from any other party, the PMS said, as the Prime Minister has said, this is one of the many submissions we’ve had and that has been gathered by government as part of the Red Tape Challenge and also the employment law review. And as the Prime Minister also said this weekend, he’s not wedded to one set of proposals or the other. But we need to balance an environment when you can improve competitiveness, ensure enterprise has opportunity to thrive while also protecting employment law.

Asked how many other submissions have been compiled with civil service support, the PMS said we don’t know the details but it is not unusual for officials in departments to discuss policy work with people who have good ideas and want to share ideas about developing policy. Asked whether it was Beecroft’s idea or whether the request came from government, the PMS confirmed he was asked as part of the Red Tape Challenge and also the employment law review. Asked who commissioned it, the PMS said she could not confirm who physically commissioned it, but said it was commissioned by the Government.

Asked why a millionaire Tory party donor was asked to do this, the PMS said this is a question for BIS, but clearly Beecroft has made a contribution to developing ideas on reform to employment law. At the moment there is a call for evidence on the particular aspect of no-fault dismissal and that’s ongoing and that doesn’t close until 8 June.

Asked was there any help given by officials to other submissions, the PMS said to look at what Mark Prisk said on the floor of House today. Some of the proposals in the Beecroft Report are being taken and the ideas he has contributed have been put into the pool of ideas which have been submitted to the Government. Asked for a list of the 17 of the 23 points which the Government is taking action on, the PMS referred journalists to BIS.

Asked why the Business Secretary was unable to make the Urgent Question and was it because he was in the North East on a visit, the PMS said she did not know what his programme today was; but clearly Mark Prisk is answering on behalf of BIS.

Asked whether Beecroft was paid, the PMS referred journalists to BIS. Asked if there was a cost in civil service time, the PMS again referred journalists to BIS.

Asked if the UK would provide money to support Greece if it left the Eurozone, the PMS said that there was a bailout mechanism in place, which the UK is not part of. It was for Eurozone countries to stand behind the Euro.

Asked when action would be needed, the PMS said that there was uncertainty in the Eurozone which was undermining confidence and the recovery. The sooner these issues were addressed the better.

Asked whether there was a need for a Council meeting to be brought forward, the PMS said that an additional informal Council meeting had been scheduled.

Asked whether the Government had a response to the Bank of England report revising growth forecasts down to 0.8%, the PMS said that the Bank of England was highlighting higher than expected inflation and the biggest risk to the economy, which was the situation in the Eurozone.

Unemployment
Asked whether the unemployment figures were signs of green shoots, the PMS said that the country was still facing challenging economic times. We welcomed the latest figures and the drop in unemployment. The Government was doing everything it could to ensure unemployment continued to fall.

Asked if there was a fundamental shift in employment, from full-time to part-time work, the PMS said that there was still uncertainty in the economy and a lack of confidence due to the Eurozone. That would affect businesses’ decisions to take people on, but it was better for people to be in some form of employment so that they could gain skills and experience to help them secure a permanent job if they wanted one.

Welfare spending
Asked if the PM was planning a further £25bn cut in welfare spending, the PMS said that the Government has set out its welfare spending plans in the spending review. There have been no decisions taken for years beyond the spending review.

Civil service reform
Asked whether there were plans to cut the civil service by 90%, the PMS said that the Government was not planning cuts on that scale. We were cutting spending which meant that the number of jobs in the public sector would fall over the spending review period.

Asked whether the cabinet were planning to outsource policy to think tanks, the PMS said that the Government was looking at a range of options to reform the civil service. We wanted to address its weaknesses and build on its strengths. This particular idea had been mentioned by the Cabinet Secretary at an IfG conference in March.

Police reform
Asked whether the PM still backed the police reforms despite pressure from the Police Federation, the PMS said that the Government was having to find savings in the police force. A significant portion of any public service was staffing costs which was why we had introduced pay freezes and pension reforms across the public sector. This was a necessary part of finding savings whilst protecting the front line.

Scotland
Asked why the PM was not fussed about the date of the Scottish referendum, the PMS said that the Government has consistently said that it wanted a referendum sooner rather than later.

Asked whether the PM agreed with the Foreign Secretary’s remarks, the PMS said that the PM thought we needed a private sector-led recovery and the Government had taken steps to help achieve that. We have taken action to increase bank lending, we were cutting red tape and reducing corporation tax year on year to the lowest level in the G7.

Asked whether the PM was frustrated that those efforts were not recognised by the business community, the PMS said that the country was recovering from a very deep recession. It would take time to rebalance the economy, which would require hard work from the private sector and Government.

Eurozone

Asked if the Government would respond to any new economic packages announced by Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, the PMS said that Britain had been discussing growth and the European economy with European partners for some time.

Asked whether there would be any concrete outcomes from the G8 meeting, the PMS said that we had been taking steps to support our economy, but we were also pushing for more action at the European level to complete the single market.

Asked whether the UK could be called upon to contribute to a clean up fund if Greece left the Eurozone, the PMS said that the Government had been consistent in saying that Eurozone countries needed to support their own currency.

Asked whether the PM thought the UK economy would suffer is Greece left the Eurozone, the PMS said that what happened in the Eurozone affected the UK. We have seen in the past how problems in one country could spread to another and we had therefore argued that the Eurozone needed to put in place an effective firewall.

Asked whether there would be a recapitalisation of the European Investment Bank, the PMS said that there were no proposals on the table but we would consider any proposals on their merits.

Asked whether the PM was confident that the UK had contingency plans in place to deal with a Greek exit from the Eurozone, the PMS said that we had a range of contingency plans in place, but we did not comment on them.

NHS reforms

Asked for a reaction to claims from the Royal College of Nurses that 61,000 NHS jobs were at risk, the PMS said that we did not recognise those figures.

Asked whether the PM was concerned by the issues raised by the Royal College of Nurses, the PMS said that the PM had been clear that he wanted to work with healthcare professionals to reform the NHS. We were protecting the NHS budget but could not stand still given the challenges of an ageing population and the rising cost of health treatments.

Mitt Romney

Asked whether the PM would be meeting Mitt Romney this summer, the PMS said that there would be a lot of people in London over the summer because of the Olympics. The PM would be having a number of meetings but we wouldn’t confirm these until nearer the time.

Asked whether the PM had any copies of the texts sent to Rebekah Brooks, the PMS said that the PM would provide any evidence the Leveson Inquiry asked for.

Asked whether the PM was relaxed about Charlie Brooks offering his text messages to the Leveson Inquiry, the PMS said he had nothing further to add on the Leveson Inquiry. We would not be providing a running commentary.

Asked about the PM’s attitude to the phone hacking allegations, the PMS said that the PM had set up a public inquiry to look into the issue because he thought phone hacking was unacceptable.

Asked whether there was any explanation for Andy Coulson attending meetings of the NSC without appropriate security clearance, the PMS said that Andy Coulson had the appropriate security clearance.

Asked whether vetting process looked at details of shareholdings, the PMS said that this was a slightly separate issue dealt with by the civil service management code. People were asked to declare their interests on appointment.

Asked about sanctions for those who broke the rules, the PMS said that it would depend on the circumstances of the specific case.

Asked whether the PM was doing anything to investigate why the code was not followed, the PMS said that the code was there to help guide departments and ensure civil servants behaved correctly. Issues concerning the security of information and vetting were the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary of the department in question. People were required to declare their interests.

Asked whether the code was based on trust, the PMS said that it required people to declare their interests.

Asked whether the PM had a personal phone and a work phone, the PMS said that he was not going to discuss issues relating to the Leveson Inquiry. If the PM was asked for material by the Leveson Inquiry, he would provide it.

British Intelligence

Asked whether the PM was concerned that British intelligence had been disclosed in the US, and whether he would take action, the PMS said that we did not comment on intelligence issues but he understood there was an investigation underway in the US.

Civil Service Reform

Asked whether the PM believed that underperforming civil servants should be fired, the PMS said that it was currently possible to dismiss people in the civil service if they were not performing to the required standard.

Asked whether there were any new reforms in the pipeline, the PMS said that the Government waslooking at the issue of public sector reform including how we manage the civil service.

Asked whether a new measure of performance management would be introduced, the PMS said that this was one issue which Sir Bob Kerslake was considering.

Asked whether one department would road test a 70% cut in staffing levels, the PMS said that the Government was not proposing 70 per cent cuts.

Police Force Reform

Asked whether the PM was alarmed by the hostility to cuts in the police force, the PMS said that the cuts were challenging but manageable. The Government was taking difficult decisions and the police force could not be excluded. The PMS said that we believed efficiencies could be made whilst protecting the front line.

Scotland

Asked what the PM would like to see next on the subject of the Scottish referendum, the PMS said that the PM would like to see further talks between the Secretary of State and the First Minister, as the continued uncertainty was damaging.

Asked whether there were going to be any announcements on troops pulling out of Afghanistan from the Defence Secretary, the PMS said that there was no new information on troop numbers in Afghanistan.

Leveson

Asked to clarify the number of times the PM had met Rupert Murdoch since the last election, the PMS said that Downing Street had already published details of meetings and we were confident that those details were correct.

Asked to comment on the list submitted as evidence to the Leveson Inquiry by Rupert Murdoch, and potential discrepancies, the PMS said that he understood there was some revised evidence being presented that hadn’t been published yet, but Downing Street was confident that the published list was correct.

Asked to comment on media reports that there were events that the PM had attended with Rupert Murdoch that were not included on the published list, the PMS said that the Government had always been clear that not everyone attending large events or summits at which the PM is present are noted and declared.

Asked to define a meeting with Rupert Murdoch, the PMS said that meetings are included in published lists, but there may be some events attended by the PM where large numbers of other people are also invited and that we did not list everyone attending those events. We were confident that what we had declared was comprehensive and correct.

Asked whether the civil service had a definition for a meeting, the PMS said Downing Street based its records on the PM’s diary, which was a comprehensive record of his activity during the day.

Asked whether a name that didn’t appear in the diary would be declared, the PMS said that there was a thorough process in place governing the PM’s diary to ensure the record was comprehensive.

Asked whether it was possible that private meetings were omitted from the diary, the PMS said that the diary was comprehensive and Downing Street were confident that declaration was correct.

Asked whether the PM could score meetings from the records, the PMS said that the process did not work like that – his diary was prepared by his office.

Asked whether the BSkyB bid was discussed at Chequers in a meeting with James Murdoch, the PMS said that the PM had been clear that he had no inappropriate conversations about the BSkyB bid with James Murdoch.

Asked whether there had been any contact between Downing Street and the Murdochs to confirm meeting dates, the PMS said that under the terms of the Leveson Inquiry that would not be appropriate.

Asked whether the PM had asked Sir Alex Allen to look into potential breaches of the ministerial code, the PMS said that the PM had not asked him.

Asked whether the PM had responded to Harriet Harman’s letter, the PMS said that he did not think there had been a response yet.

Asked whether the PM had considered the request from Harriet Harman, the PMS said that the PM had made it clear that he believed the Culture Secretary had acted properly. There was an inquiry ongoing that was looking at some of the issues in question and we took the view that we should let that inquiry take its course.

Asked whether Sir Jeremy Heywood had spoken to Lord Leveson to discuss whether the inquiry would look into breaches of the ministerial code, the PMS referred the journalist to the Cabinet Office statement.

Asked whether the PM still thought it was a good idea to set up the Leveson Inquiry, the PMS said that he did.
Asked whether the Leveson Inquiry would report to the Culture Secretary or the PM, the PMS said that he believed it reported jointly to the Culture Secretary and the Home Secretary. Asked whether the Culture Secretary should withdraw himself from that reponsibility in the process, the PMS said that we expected that certain recommendations from the inquiry would be issues for the Department of Culture Media and Sport.

Asked what the PM’s view was on the likely involvement of the Financial Services Authority, the PMS said that was a matter for the FSA. Asked whether the potential involvement of the FSA would annoy the PM, the PMS said that they were independent.

Economy

Asked if the ONS GDP figures were to be revised down, that it would be a forward step, the PMS said that the ONS did revise its GDP figures from time to time, but that he was not going to speculate on any revisions.

Asked to clarify the meetings between the PM and Rupert Murdoch, the PMS said that Downing Street had published the list of meetings and was confident that the list was correct.

Asked whether the Government regarded Rupert Murdoch’s revised evidence as accurate, the PMS said that he thought the Downing Street list was accurate.

Asked to define what was classed as a meeting, the PMS said that within the declarations of meetings published by ministers, there are footnotes explaining the scope of what is published.

Asked at what stage the Permanent Secretary of DCMS was aware of Adam Smith’s discussions with NewsCorp and whether he had authorised his position as a go-between before or during the correspondence, the PMS said they were questions to be answered by the Permanent Secretary of DCMS.

Asked whether the PM still had full confidence that the Culture Secretary’s comments made in the House of Commons were accurate, the PMS said that the PM was confident he had acted properly.

Asked whether it was premature to have full confidence without an inquiry, the PMS said that the PM had set out his view. It was his responsibility to decide who was a minister in his Government.

Asked whether the Leveson Inquiry had asked for emails sent by Adam Smith, the PMS referred the journalist to the Leveson Inquiry.

Asked why Sir Jeremy Heywood had spoken to Lord Leveson, the PMS said that the Cabinet Office had issued a statement.

Asked whether the phone call was the PM’s idea, the PMS said that the Cabinet Office statement made clear the reasons for the call.

Asked whether the PM discussed the contents of the call with Sir Jeremy Heywood beforehand, the PMS said that Sir Jeremy was aware that MPs were asking him about the issues raised in the inquiry and he wanted to ensure that he did not cut across the inquiry’s work.

Asked whether the Leveson Inquiry would look into breaches of the ministerial code, the PMS said that the Leveson Inquiry’s remit was set out in its terms of reference.

Asked whether there would be any investigation into a breach of the ministerial code, the PMS said that the PM believed the Culture Secretary had acted properly and Lord Leveson had also made a clear statement about investigations running alongside his inquiry.

Asked whether the PM would deny Harriet Harman’s request for an investigations into breaches of the ministerial code, the PMS said that the PM would respond, but that the PM believed Jeremy Hunt acted properly and there was no reason to refer the issue to Sir Alex Allan.

Asked when the PM satisfied himself that there was no need to have an inquiry, the PMS said that the PM spoke to the Culture Secretary on Tuesday.

Asked whether the PM could ask for an investigation into the ministerial code after the Leveson Inquiry has concluded, the PMS said that it was a hypothetical question.

Asked whether the PM had ever called on the services of of the independent advisor, the PMS said that he had not.

Asked whether the independent advisor should be called independent, the PMS said that ultimately the PM was responsible for who was in his Government and it was his decision whether to launch an investigation into whether there had been a breach of the ministerial code.

Asked whether the independent advisor could not start an investigation now alongside the Leveson Inquiry, the PMS said that there was already a public inquiry and we agreed with what Lord Leveson had said.

Asked when the PM was due to appear before the Leveson Inquiry, the PMS said that it was a matter for the Leveson Inquiry to announce when witnesses would appear.

Asked whether the PMS could clarify the number of times Rupert Murdoch had met the PM, the PMS said that Downing Street had published a list of all the PM’s meetings.

Asked to clarify on the rules for ministers on competition referral decisions, the PMS said that the principles of the process were to assure that it was a fair one.

Asked whether the PM thought the process was a fair one, the PMS referred the journalist to the statement made by the Culture Secretary. The Culture Secretary said he had acted properly and was confident that when he sat before the Leveson Inquiry, the public would see that he had acted scrupulously fairly.

Asked whether the letter from the Cabinet Secretary would be published, the PMS referred the question to the Cabinet Office.

Asked whether the Culture Secretary was confident his special adviser had acted appropriately, the PMS said that Adam Smith had accepted that his actions had overstepped the mark.  Asked whether the Culture Secretary should be held responsible if it turned out that NewsCorp were tipped off about the final decision, the PMS said that these were issues that the Leveson Inquiry would be considering.

Asked whether the PM was happy that the Culture Secretary had acted within the ministerial code, the PMS said that the PM had made his position clear in the House of Commons. He believed the Culture Secretary has acted properly.

Asked whether the PM had conducted an inquiry to come to that conclusion, the PMS said that there was already an ongoing public inquiry, but the PM believed the Culture Secretary had acted properly.

Asked whether the PM had received a short briefing on the actions of the Culture Secretary, the PMS said that the PM was satisfied that the Culture Secretary had acted appropriately. He had taken independent advice throughout the process.

Asked whether the PM was not suspicious considering the actions of the special advisor, the PMS said that all decisions were taken by the Culture Secretary and they were based on independent advice.  The reasons behind the decisions were published when they were taken.

Asked whether before the transfer of responsibility from Business Secretary to the Culture Secretary the PM was aware of the Culture Secretary’s views on the bid, the PMS said that the decision to transfer the responsibility to the Culture Secretary was agreed by the Cabinet Secretary.

Asked whether the Culture Secretary had discussed the bid before the transfer of responsibility, the PMS said that the PM had not had any inappropriate discussions about the bid with the Culture Secretary or anyone else.

Asked why the PM was so confident that the Culture Secretary had acted properly, the PMS said that the PM was confident because independent advice was sought at each stage of the decision making process.

Asked whether the PM thought the Culture Secretary should cooperate with the Leveson Inquiry, the PMS said the PM thought he should.

Asked whether the inquiry should review private emails and correspondence, the PMS said that was an issue for the Leveson Inquiry.

Economy

Asked whether the PM was planning to make a speech about the economy, the PMS said the Government was going to stick to its plans on the economy, reducing the deficit to keep interest rates low.

Asked whether the PM agreed that the recession had been made in Downing Street, the PMS said that the country had experienced a very deep recession and a severe financial crisis. We were not immune to what was happening other countries and the recovery would be tough.

Asked whether households were partly to blame for building up big debts, the PMS said that the previous boom had seen a big build up in the debts of households, business and financial institutions.

Asked to endorse the position explained by the Prime Minister this morning on Abu Qatada and to explain what that position was, the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) said that our view was that the deadline was at midnight on Monday and we based that view on the Treaty, the legal precedents and on the contacts that we had with the European Court.       

Put that Chris Bryant said that the Prime Minister went beyond what he knew the truth to be, the PMS said the Prime Minister set out the position very clearly this morning.  

 Miscellaneous

Asked about the Prime Minister’s comments on Radio 4 when he said the Government had to do better, the PMS said he was being asked about a number of issues over the past few weeks, he was simply making the point that all governments go through periods when things are going well and less well.

 Scottish Referendum

Asked if the Prime Minister had said that he was not fussy about the Scottish Independence Referendum being held in 2014, the PMS said his view hadn’t changed on this issue.  We had been  consulting on this issue, there would no doubt be some discussions that flowed from that between this Government and the Scottish Government, but he said previously that he thought that a referendum should take place sooner rather than later.

 IMF

Put that Alistair Darling had backed the Chancellor and was that welcome support, the PMS said that we thought it was the right thing to ensure that the IMF was properly resourced and able to deal with the risks in the global economy and it was welcome if other people agreed with that view.

Asked what the PM’s position was on the Bahrain Grand Prix considering some security concerns, the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson referred the journalist to the Foreign Secretary’s statement made the previous weekend. The Government remains concerned about violence but it is not for the Government to dictate what sporting events should and should not go ahead in other countries.

Asked whether the PM had been following the developments, the PMS said that he had been kept up to speed with developments.

Asked whether the PM was concerned with the violence that had occurred overnight, the PMS said that the Government remain deeply concerned by the violence.

Asked whether the PM shared the views of Yvette Cooper (that the event should be called off), the PMS said that it is not the position of the Government to dictate what sporting events should and should not go ahead in different countries.

Asked what the current consulate advice on going to Bahrain was, the PMS said that at present the travel advice refers to ongoing demonstrations and protests and travellers are asked to maintain a high level of security awareness and caution.

Asked whether the Government condemns the use of live ammunition, the PMS said that the Government condemns all street violence and referred the journalist to the Foreign Office.

IMF Funding

Asked whether the UK was going to commit further funds to the IMF, the PMS said she would not speculate on the outcomes of the Chancellor’s meetings in Washington DC.

Asked whether the PM still thought it was important to fully fund the IMF, the PMS said that the UK is a longstanding supporter of the IMF but it is clear there are strict conditions under which we would agree to committing resources and any deal should be done on a global level.

Asked whether the PM had concerns over the use and impact of IMF funds, the PMS said that there are strict conditions under which the Government would agree to commit further funds to the IMF. One of those conditions is that the IMF provides support for countries and not currencies.

Asked whether there could be global deal if the US were not going to commit funds, the PMS said that she was not going to speculate on the outcomes of the meeting.

Asked whether the Government could confirm that not a single penny of British cash would go into the Eurozone, the PMS said that the money should be used to support countries and not currencies.

Asked whether the Eurozone countries had done enough to satisfy the Chancellor to provide further funds, the PMS said that more needed to be done but she was no going to speculate on the outcomes of the meetings.

Quantitative Easing

Asked whether the PM was concerned about the impact of Quantitative Easing on the economy, the PMS said that QE is a matter for the Bank of England.

Lords reform

Asked for an update on House of Lords reform, the PMS said that the Government is waiting for the report of the Joint Committee. The coalition agreement says we will bring forward proposals for an elected upper chamber. The Government and PM remain committed to reform.

Asked whether the Government thought a referendum was needed on House of Lords reform, the PMS said that the Government had not been persuaded on the case for a referendum.

Asked whether the Government could be persuaded the PMS said that she was not going to speculate.

Asked whether the PM expects Parliamentary Private Secretaries to vote in favour of the proposals, the PMs said that the PM would expect them to vote for Government policy.

Asked whether it was actually Government policy to draft a Bill on reform, the PMS said that both the PM and DPM were committed to reform.

Asked what ministers were bound to regarding voting and the ministerial code, the PMS referred the journalist to the Ministerial Code.

Asked what the PM’s message was to 70 people who warned they would vote against the reform, the PMS referred the journalist to the rationale for reform set out by the PM and DPM in the joint foreword of the draft Bill.

Asked whether the PM supports the idea of having upper house elections by 2015, the PMS said everyone should wait to see the outcomes of the Joint Committee’s report.

Asked whether the PM was worried about the lack of support for this reform, the PMS said that reform had cross party support.

Asked whether the PM was committed to reform before 2015, the PMS said there was a process to follow. The draft legislation had been published and the Government was awaiting the Joint Committee’s report on the legislation.

Asked whether the legislation would be in the Queen’s Speech, the PMS said she was not going to discuss the contents of the Queen’s Speech.

Abu Qatada

Asked how worried the Government was that Abu Qatada could shortly be released on bail, the PMS said that if he applies for bail the Government would oppose the application vigorously.

Asked whether the PM has asked for an explanation from the Home Office on how the case had got into this position, the PMS said that he had been kept updated on the situation.

Asked whether the PM had full confidence in the Home Secretary, the PMS said that the PM did.

Asked whether the PM had full confidence that Abu Qatada would be deported, the PMS said that it was the PM’s firm intention to see him deported.

Asked whether the PM was happy with the result of the Brighton conference on the European Court of Human Rights, the PMS said that the PM was happy and referred the journalist to the Justice Secretary’s words on the outcomes.

Asked whether the unemployment figures released that morning showed green shoots, the PMS said that the figures showed encouraging signs and were a step in the right direction, but there was still a long way to go. The Government were going to press ahead with programmes getting people back to work and encourage the creation of private sector jobs.

Asked to comment on why the figures implied the progress for women was worse than men, the PMS said that the number of women in work has risen on the previous quarter’s figures.

Asked whether the PM agreed with a Treasury source that said the employment strategy was all going to plan, the PMS said that the Government was sticking with its plan to deal with the deficit and create jobs.

Asked whether there was any comment on reports that the number of private sector vacancies was dropping, the PMS said that the figures show that the private sector is still creating jobs and the number of vacancies has held firm. The private sector employment is up 45,000 in the last quarter and that more than compensates for the reduction of jobs in the public sector.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Asked whether the PM had any response to the news that Aung San Suu Kyi had agreed to visit Britain in the coming months, the PMS said that Downing Street had not received formal acceptance of the Prime Minister’s invitation.

Harmful Online Content

Asked whether the PM had any view on the cross party report into harmful online content and the impact on young children, the PMS said that the PM thought more must be done to protect children from harmful online content. The Government is looking at issues raised in the report.

Rendition

Asked whether the PM welcomed the fact that ex-Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is now a co-defendant in a legal case regarding Rendition, the PMS said she would not comment on the details of a specific case. The Government stands firmly against torture and takes the allegations seriously.

Asked whether the Government would resist any attempts to have potential written authorisation disclosed publicly, the PMS said she would not enter into discussions of the case.

Asked whether the Government would urge Jack Straw to disclose details of any written sanction of rendition, the PMS said she would not comment on the details of the case.

Prorogation

Asked whether the PMS could confirm that prorogation would begin next Thursday, the PMS said she could not.

TSC report into QE

Asked whether the PM would look at the recommendations of the Treasury Select Committee report into the impacts of quantitative easing on pensioners, the PMS said that quantitative easing is a matter for the Bank of England and the Treasury would be responding in due course.

Finance Bill

Asked whether the Government was planning any concessions on the Finance Bill, the PMS referred the journalist to the Treasury.

Asked whether the PM had any views on a pasty amendment, the PMS said that the Government sticks by the Budget. Difficult decisions have to be made but fair decisions have underpinned the Budget.