Press briefing: morning 9 July 2014
The Prime Minister's Spokesperson (PMS) answered questions on child abuse, tax avoidance, living wage and airport security.
Child abuse inquiry
Asked if the Prime Minister (PM) still believed Baroness Butler-Sloss was the right person to lead the overarching child abuse inquiry, the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) said the PM did and that she commanded widespread respect for both her professional expertise and integrity.
Tax avoidance
Asked if the PM regarded off-shore tax havens as aggressive avoidance, the PMS said this government had done more than any other to address the issue of tax evasion. The PMS said aggressive avoidance was defined in the General Anti-Abuse Rules (GAAR) which this government had put on the statute book.
Living wage
Asked if the PM had sympathy for public sector workers who struggled financially and were not paid the living wage, the PMS said the government had taken and would continue to take tough decisions on public sector pay to deal with the deficit. He added the PM supported employers who were able to pay the living wage.
Airport security
Asked if changes to airport security measures were a reflection on the threat to the UK, the PMS said it was a reflection on the fact there were terror organisations who wanted to harm UK citizens. He said the PM believed we must always be vigilant to the evolving terrorism threat which is why security measures were under constant review.