Press briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: Cabinet, Home Secretary’s Statement, Bonuses, John Prescott and Peter Law
Cabinet
Asked if the Home Secretary had reported to Cabinet today, the PMOS replied that he had run over the ground, which had been covered in his statement yesterday. The Prime Minister had reiterated his point which was that this was a problem which had been there for decades, but which we were now addressing.
The PMOS also told journalists that Margaret Beckett gave an overview on climate change.
Asked if the Deputy Prime Minister was at Cabinet, the PMOS replied that he was.
Home Secretary’s Statement
Asked whether the Government was prepared to derogate from the European Commission for Human Rights in order to get legislation through, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that as we had said yesterday, if, whenever we got the legislation through, people wanted to challenge it in the courts, then they could. What people should not assume, however, was that we had to go down the road of derogation, because if people looked at past experience on the whole series of issues that were contested in courts, then the Government had won. The PMOS said people should not make assumptions and not address hypotheticals.
Put that the Prime Minister had gone on the record some years ago saying that he was prepared to consider it, and was considering it actively at the time, the PMOS replied that again, it should be taken case by case, and we should do the work, and then see if it was tested in the courts.
Bonuses
Asked if the Prime Minister would have approved of the handing out of performance-led bonuses to 70 senior managers of the Immigration and Prison services, the PMOS said that it was entirely a matter for the managers of the services how they managed it. However, the PMOS pointed out that whilst everyone was aware of the problems in some areas, equally, in other areas, such as asylum, we had seen significant progress.
John Prescott
Asked by the Sun if the Deputy Prime Minister had broken the Ministerial Code in any way, and was there an inquiry being conducted about it, as there appeared to be some confusion about it all, the PMOS replied that whilst there might be some confusion in sections of the media, despite us indicating that there were no inquires, people kept saying otherwise. The PMOS reiterated the position from yesterday which was that the media reports were wrong.
Asked that it was strictly a private matter, the PMOS said: yes.
Put that it was being reported that Sir Gus O’Donnell was "keeping his eye on it" and was that wrong, the PMOS said that it was his understanding that Sir Gus O’Donnell had been written to by an MP, and whilst it was a matter for Sir Gus, being the polite man that he was, he assumed would reply.
Asked if Mr. Prescott was in a good mood today; was he jolly or contrite, the PMOS said that the Deputy Prime Minister was at the Cabinet meeting and he contributed to the discussion as per normal.
Peter Law
Asked if the Prime Minister had sanctioned a peerage to Peter Law, the PMOS said that it was not only a party matter, but also, as people knew, the PMOS did not talk about the nomination process for the House of Lords.
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