Syria
Asked about the upcoming Syrian peace talks, the PMS said the government welcomed the date being set. A political solution was needed to bring about the end to violence and bloodshed. Talks would need to be acceptable to both sides and those attending would need to be committed to playing a constructive role.
RBS
Asked about the Tomlinson report into RBS business lending, the PMS said the Prime Minister shared the Chancellor’s view set out that morning.
Public sector pay
Asked whether there would be a review of the public sector pay deal given recent good economic news, the PMS said it had been right to take difficult public expenditure decisions, and the government had set out plans for spending consolidation through to 2017.