Press release

Number 10 Press Briefing - 15 March Afternoon

Same sex marriages, PIP implants and fuel poverty were among topics discussed at the 10 Downing Street press briefing.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Fuel Poverty

Asked whether there was no chance of eradicating fuel poverty by 2016, the PMS said that the Government recognised that fuel poverty was a serious problem and remained committed to tackling it by making sure those who are most in need of help receive it. The Government is grateful to Professor Hills for producing this report to better inform policy making. The Government wants to better understand how to measure fuel poverty and will consult on the definition of fuel poverty in the summer.

Asked whether consulting on the definition was just moving the goalposts, the PMS said that the Government needed to better define and measure fuel poverty when making policy decisions.

Asked what was wrong with the current definition, the PMS said that the Government wanted to ensure a thorough definition was in place to help policy making.

PIP implants

Asked whether there was any reaction following the announcement that 7000 more women may have received faulty PIP implants, the PMS said that there was no change in the Government policy in place to help women with faulty PIP implants.

Asked whether it was time for a routine removal, the PMS said that the women affected should speak to their GPs in the first instance and the process must be medically-led.

Winsor Report

Asked whether the Government agreed that police officers failing to pass a fitness test should be sacked, the PMS said that the Winsor report was being delivered to the Home Office and they were studying that detail and would reply in due course.

Same sex marriages

Asked why the PM had not gone further in same sex marriage proposals, specifically to allow religious groups to host ceremonies, the PMS said that the proposals were about civil marriage. The Government had been in discussion with a variety of groups when drawing up proposals, including religious groups.

Asked whether the consultation was a foregone conclusion given ministers had insisted the same sex proposals would become law, the PMS said that the Government was proposing to lift the ban on same sex marriages, and was looking forward to hearing people’s views on how we would do this.

Published 15 March 2012