The Prime Minister's Office
'Downing Street' and 'No 10' are commonly used terms for the Prime Minister's Office. The office is staffed by civil servants and special advisers who support the Prime Minister and ensure he can carry out his wide range of functions, from international diplomacy to policy-making. The Prime Minister's Office also works closely with the Delivery Reform Group within the Cabinet Office.
The Prime Minister's office comprises around 8 key figures including a Chief of Staff, a Principal Private Secretary, a Chief Policy Advisor and a Director of Political Operations.
The Prime Minister is the chief officer of Her Majesty's Government in the UK. The Prime Minister's main responsibilities include setting the direction of the Government, appointing members of the Cabinet, coordinating the activities of the Cabinet and Government departments, participating in ceremonial occasions, and being the face of the Government in the UK and abroad.
Twice daily, while Parliament is in session, a select coterie of political journalists ('the lobby') is ushered into the premises of The Foreign Press Association (or sometimes 10 Downing Street itself) where they partake in a question and answer session with a civil servant (the 'Prime Minister's Official Spokesman'). The civil servant's job is to answer questions on behalf of the Prime Minister, and to alert them to governmental happenings that Number 10 feels they should know about.
Contact details
Prime Minister Tony Blair
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Fax: 020 7925 0198
www.number-10.gov.uk