Press briefing: morning 4 June 2014
The Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) answered questions on issues including King Juan Carlos of Spain and extremism in schools.
King Juan Carlos of Spain
Asked whether the Prime Minister had mentioned the abdication of King Juan Carlos of Spain in yesterday’s conversations with the Spanish Prime Minister, the PMS said that the PM echoed his words from earlier in the week – paying tribute to King Juan Carlos and his work to help Spain’s successful transition to democracy.
Bilateral meeting
Asked about the PM’s upcoming bilateral meeting with President Putin, the PMS confirmed that it would take place in Paris.
President of European Commission
Asked about whether the Prime Minister was backing anyone for the Presidency and Jean Claude Juncker’s tweets confirming he is confident of becoming President, the PMS said that the PM’s focus was on establishing the priorities for Europe and the need for reform. He added that the President of the European Council Van Rompuy would be taking forward discussions on candidacy.
Extremism in schools
Asked about extremism in schools, the PMS pointed to the words of both the Education Secretary and Home Secretary stating that they were committed to working together to tackle extremism. Asked about concerns surrounding governance and oversight in Birmingham schools, the PMS said that some very serious concerns had been raised and that Ofsted and Peter Clarke, who had been asked to look at the issue on behalf of the Department for Education, were investigating these. Asked whether the PM had met with his Education Secretary that morning, the PMS said that the PM meets all of his cabinet colleagues very regularly.
Queen’s Speech
Asked for a response to accusations from the opposition that there was a ‘Zombie Parliament’ the PMS pointed to the words of the PM and DPM stating that this government was taking forward a bold pack of reforms.