Number 10 Press Briefing - Morning From 16 August
From the Prime Minister's spokesperson on: Prime Minister on holiday, mixed sex wards, Northern Ireland, Iran, Pakistan, emissions and David Kelly.
Prime Minister on holiday
Asked if there was a set plan for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to stay in contact with each other, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that he wouldn’t get into the process involved. They were able to talk to one another should the need arise.
Mixed sex wards
Asked for detail on the announcement, the PMS advised people to wait for the announcement.
Put that the previous Government had pledged to end mixed sex wards by the end of this year and would the Government be doing more than that, the PMS replied that the policy was set out and made a priority in the operating framework published in June.
Northern Ireland
Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned about the events over the weekend and did the Prime Minister think that talks with dissident Republican groups would eventually be necessary, the PMS said we were of course concerned about the issues involved and advised people to speak to the Northern Ireland office for any more details.
Iran
Asked about reports that Iran was building a third nuclear enrichment plant, the PMS replied that Iran’s nuclear programme was a matter of serious concern. We were committed to increasing international pressure on Iran and the reports this morning did not give us any comfort that Iran was moving in the right direction.
Pakistan
Asked whether the disappointing public response to the floods in Pakistan was down to comments made by the Prime Minister during his visit to India, the PMS replied that the response by the UK Government had been a significant one. The detail had been set out by the Department for International Development and stood at £31million at the moment. Andrew Mitchell had also been urging other countries to do more on this.
Emissions
Asked if the Government was watering down its commitments on environmental emissions following reports this morning, the PMS said that there had been a statement from the Secretary of State, saying that the details were still being finalised, but on the issue of coal-fired power stations, it would not be possible to meet the standard unless those power stations employed carbon capture and storage. There was no question of the Government watering down its commitments on climate change and moving to a low-carbon economy.
David Kelly
When asked if the Prime Minister thought that Dr Kelly’s medical records should be kept secret for 70 years, the PMS said that there would be an established position on the release of peoples’ medical notes.