Number 10 Press Briefing - Morning From 13 October 2010
From the Prime Minister's spokesperson on: FIFA, Linda Norgrove and General Petraeus.
FIFA
Asked who instigated the meeting with FIFA, the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) referred journalists to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the process because there have been a number of meetings over a number of months on the issue of England’s World Cup bid.
Put that this meeting was to make up for the Prime Minister’s previous absence, the PMS explained that the meeting marked the next stage in the process.
Linda Norgrove
Asked for an update on the investigation, the PMS said that the discussions between the Prime Minister and President Obama had established the principles of the investigation: there would be close cooperation between the UK and the US. The names of those leading it had been agreed and the investigation team would have access to everything they needed in order to conduct an effective investigation. The PMS pointed out that he would not be providing a running commentary on this matter. The government would update Parliament at the appropriate time.
Put in derogatory terms that the Brigadier leading the investigation for the UK was not suitable for the role, the PMS said that was not an appropriate way to describe the Brigadier.
Asked about the repatriation of the body, the PMS confirmed that she would be repatriated to the UK and a post mortem examination would be carried out by a UK coroner.
Asked if the two people named to lead the investigation for the UK and the US would have equal weight, the PMS said that it was a joint investigation and both the Prime Minister and the President were very clear about that point.
Asked if the all information would be made available for the investigation, the PMS said that the Prime Minister and President were very clear about the objective of this investigation; that it must get to the bottom of what happened. They were both fully committed to that.
Asked if President Obama would speak to the Norgrove family, the PMS said he was not aware of any plans to do so.
General Petraeus
Put that General Petraeus had said he did not want his hands tied to a timetable, the PMS explained that a strategy had been set out, that a timetable had been established and that a process was in place to ensure that strategy would reviewed at the end of this year.