Contributions
731 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend the Father of the House for his wisdom and long sight on this issue. He shares with us exactly what these things looked like over…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessThe short answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question is no. The longer answer is that he, too, should be careful about what he says. If he wants to hand out prizes, perhaps he might…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI am grateful for that view from a senior Member of the House. My right hon. Friend is correct: what we are seeing here is a very normal operation whereby a specialist briefing is…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessAnd that is why we have lobby arrangements whereby every editor—any journalist—with a press pass is more than able to ask any question they like of the Government.04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessMy hon. Friend is right on that point. As I have said, the Government are upholders of freedom and accessibility for Government briefings. We take it as a matter of pride that we…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessNo, I do not.04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessThe press certainly should be able to report without fear. We are strongly in support of there being a free press. Let me point to another example, which is that of the Cairncross…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI have already explained that this particular briefing was arranged to provide further specialist briefing. It was not in itself a matter for the kind of questioning that the hon.…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI welcome my hon. Friend’s contribution. He is absolutely right that what we are talking about here today is how the Government are, ought to be and will be, committed to being…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI cannot account for the hon. Lady’s understanding, but what I can say is that this Government are making themselves available across a range of briefings and across a range of…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI welcome that glimpse of experience. It is important to say again that what we are discussing here today are the normal operations of the lobby. We are making sure that that is…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessBecause the hon. Lady is wrongly describing the situation. The Prime Minister stands by those words, as do I.04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessThis is simply barking up the wrong tree again. The Government are ensuring that they are open for scrutiny. The Foreign Secretary stood here yesterday and took scores of…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessThis is an important point. As we have already discussed, there are ways to do that, and this Government are committed to them. We have mentioned some points of policy, and we…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI think the hon. Lady knows—or she should know, or she will come to know—that, as a Minister at the Dispatch Box, I speak for myself and I do not need to speak for two more senior…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessThe type of Government we are talking about is the type that has just won a resounding majority at a general election and has the support of the people. I think that is a pretty…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessThe hon. Lady takes us on to very, very sober ground, and rightly so. She has great experience as a scrutiniser in this House, but the fact is that that is the wrong…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI am afraid the hon. Gentleman has his facts wrong. Mr David Frost is a political appointee.04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI have already answered that point a few times. Again, the answer is that, under the lobby arrangements, any member of the lobby with a press pass is more than welcome to put any…04 Feb 2020HANSARD Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' AccessI use Dove shampoo.04 Feb 2020