Issue 'had to be informed': Blair

Tony Blair has said the aim of the dossier detailing Britain's reasons for going to war against Iraq was "to disclose the reasons why we felt this issue had to be informed".

On September 5 communications chief Alastair Campbell chaired a meeting at Downing Street about the dossier.

Mr Blair was asked what discussions he had already held with Mr Campbell about the dossier.

He said it was important that it dealt with Iraq and the question of weapons of mass destruction.

Asked by Mr Dingemans what role Mr Campbell was going to take in the presentation of the dossier, Mr Blair said: "I was in no doubt at all he would assist with the presentation.''

But he added: “I also knew that it had to be a document that was owned by the Joint Intelligence Committee and the chairman, John Scarlett.”

Mr Dingemans asked the Prime Minister if he saw the September 10 draft of the dossier.

Mr Blair said: “I believe I saw the September 10 draft and I commented on drafts of the 16th and 19th and made certain comments on that.”

He stressed that the dossier was still to be produced “through the process of the JIC”.

Mr Dingemans asked if Mr Blair had made comments on the 45-minute claim.

Mr Blair said that he did not think he made comments on the 45 minutes but when asked whether he would have seen it if it was in the September 10 dossier, he said: “Yes, I suppose so.”

Mr Blair was then shown an e-mail from Mr Scarlett, making various comments about the dossier.

He said that it discussed items of intelligence that could have, and should have, been included and added that the process was correctly done so no one could question the intelligence in it. Mr Blair stressed that he would have to present it to Parliament.