Press briefing: morning 8 December 2014
The Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson answered questions about Turkey, Bahrain, food banks, Syria and police funding.
Turkey
When asked about the Prime Minister’s upcoming trip to Turkey, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson (PMOS) said the Prime Minister would be meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and their discussions would involve events in Syria and Iraq, including counter-terrorism and humanitarian issues, and bilateral trade.
Bahrain
When asked about Bahrain, the PMOS said the UK has a constructive relationship with the authorities there and discusses a range of issues with them.
Food banks
When asked about the All Party Parliamentary Group’s report on food banks, the PMOS said the report was welcomed and contained a number of good ideas that were being carefully looked at. He added that the key thing was increasing living standards, and that was what the government was doing in terms of its agenda on economic stability, cutting taxes and encouraging growth in the labour market.
Syria
When asked about potential sentences for those returning from fighting in Syria, the PMOS said the government has been very clear that people should not travel to Syria. He added that, while sentencing is a matter for the judiciary, there should be no doubt about the potential serious consequences if people travel to become involved in terror activity.
Police funding
When asked about police funding, the PMOS said there would continue to be difficult decisions around future public spending. He referred to comments made by the Chancellor, who said there has been scope for significant savings alongside a fall in crime and that there is more that can be done in terms of efficiency and savings across a range of public services.