Downing Street press briefings
The briefings are given each day that Parliament is sitting, at 1100 GMT/ BST and 1545 GMT/BST.
At other times - for example, during Parliamentary recess - there is one briefing a week, usually on a Monday morning.
The Prime Minister's Spokesman (PMS) answers questions from journalists on current news topics that are of interest to them. The PMS may also use the opportunity to give out information he believes the media need to know. The gatherings are often referred to as lobby briefings.
For reasons of time and cost, these briefings are not normally transcribed word for word.
Instead, a record of the main points made in the briefing is circulated within Whitehall. The extracts in this section are taken from that record.
You can read summaries from the most recent briefings below, or visit our archive section, or use our search facility to find a briefing by keyword.
The briefings below were given by Gordon Brown's spokesman after 27 June 2007. For briefings given during Tony Blair's time in office, see our Blair archive.
May 2008
Afternoon press briefing from 14 May 2008
Briefing on: Housing, savings, Ukraine President, EU Lisbon Treaty Referendum and misc
Morning press briefing from 14 May 2008
Briefing on: Oil/food prices, 10p tax, draft legislative programme, Ministerial pay and miscellaneous
Morning press briefing from 13 May 2008
Briefing on: Cabinet, economy, housing market, Cabinet meetings, Draft Legislative Programme, knife crime and misc
Afternoon press briefing from 12 May 2008
Briefing on: 10p tax rate, Frank Field and miscellaneous
Morning press briefing from 12 May 2008
Briefing on: Draft Legislative programme, Frank Field comments, Embryology Bill, Dalai Lama, President Medvedev, Burma and misc
Morning press briefing from 9 May 2008
Briefing on: Scotland, economy, Burma and Environment Agency
Afternoon press briefing from 8 May 2008
Briefing on: Northern Ireland, Scotland and Embryology Bill
Morning press briefing from 8 May 2008
Briefing on: Northern Ireland Investment Conference, Scotland and Burma
Afternoon press briefing from 7 May 2008
Briefing on: Scotland and fuel prices
Morning press briefing from 7 May 2008
Briefing on: Scotland, International Development and misc
Afternoon press briefing from 6 May 2008
Briefing on: Scotland, Cabinet, Charles Clarke and Burma
Morning press briefing from 6 May 2008
Briefing on: Cabinet, Scotland, Income tax, Burma, driving, cannabis and bin tax
Morning press briefing from 2 May 2008
Briefing on: Elections, Secretary Rice, Middle East, EU and Scotland
Afternoon press briefing from 1 May 2008
Briefing on: General Petraeus, Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) Investment conference, football, cannabis and misc
Morning press briefing from 1 May 2008
Briefing on: Middle East Peace Process (MEPP), General Petraeus, cannabis and elections
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