Press briefing - afternoon 16 July 2012
The International Monetary Fund report and transport issues (including Olympics logistics) were discussed at this press briefing.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Asked if he had any comments on the IMF report, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMOS) said that the Euro area was the UK’s largest trading partner and we were feeling the effects of what was happening in the Eurozone in our economy.
Asked why the UK had been given the sharpest downgrade in the report, the PMOS said that there had been downward revisions across the board. A recession was being predicted in the Euro area and that would affect the UK economy.
Asked if Ernst and Young had got it wrong when they had said that the squeeze was over, the PMOS said that there always different views when it came to forecasting the economy.
Transport
Asked if any Cabinet Ministers had been caught up in train delays returning from the regional Cabinet meeting in Birmingham, the PMOS referred the questioner to departments.
Asked if the PM had been kept informed of the delay to Olympic Athlete’s travel, the PMOS said that the Olympics was a huge logistical task and processes were in place to co-ordinate activity across government. He added that the particular issue being referred to didn’t appear to require ministerial action.