Press briefing: afternoon 7 January 2015
The Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson answered questions about the Paris attack and the voting age.
Paris Attack
When asked about the terrorist attack in Paris, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson (PMOS) said the government permanently kept security arrangements under review, adding that the UK authorities would assist the French authorities in any way that was helpful. The PMOS added the Prime Minister was being regularly updated by his national security team, including a full intelligence briefing.
Voting Age
When asked about a parliamentary debate and vote on lowering the voting age to 16, the PMOS said the Prime Minister was entirely happy for Parliament to debate the issue. While the government’s legislative agenda had been set in the Queen’s Speech, there was a range of ways in which Parliament could consider the matter should parliamentarians choose to do so, the PMOS added. The Prime Minister’s own view was the one he had set out at Prime Minister’s Questions, namely that the case had not yet been made.