Leaders clash over Dome

An Audit Office report on the Dome is due on Thursday

Tony Blair has told the Commons that he was prepared to accept criticism from the public over the Millennium Dome but not from Tory leader William Hague.

During the weekly questions to the prime minister, Mr Hague demanded to know just how much public money had been spent on the Dome.

Hague sat on Dome committee

But the prime minister responded by informing the House that Mr Hague had sat on the cabinet committee in 1996 which decided many of the issues relating to the ill-fated Dome project.

Mr Blair said that the Tory leader had even played a part in predicting the level of visitors to the site in Greenwich - although he conceded that Labour had reviewed the figures after coming to power.

Tories 'share responsibility'

Mr Hague's line of questioning came the day after what would have been the biggest armed robbery in history was thwarted at the Dome and the day before the publication of a national audit office report into the finances of the project.

He said that the Dome minister Lord Falconer should resign if he is seriously criticised in Thursday's report.

Falconer "should go"

Mr Blair said that the Tories should share responsiblity for the project that has cost £660 million of lottery funds, adding that "the Tories are never caught at the scene of the crime".

Earlier in the half hour session the issue of floods was raised first by Mr Hague and then by Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.

The Tory leader and Mr Blair both expressed sympathy for those who had their homes flooded in recent days.

Emergency services commended

They also united in expressing appreciation for the work of the emergency services.

Mr Kennedy expressed concern, however, that extra government funds announced by the government in the wake of the recent floods, would be spread out over a four year period.

Mr Blair said the government had already apportioned more money for flood defences.

He said: "We have to look at an international level at what we can do to reduce the incidence of these freak climate changes."