The Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee issued a special report after Britain's top diplomat, Sir John Kerr, repeatedly refused to answer its questions.

Sir John said Mr Cook had made it clear he wanted no discussion of the controversial issue until the independent inquiry headed by Sir Thomas Legg had published its report.

It was the third time that the civil servant had appeared before the committee and refused to answer questions about which ministers knew what over the arms scandal.

Earlier this week, the third meeting unexpectedly went into secret session after Tory member Sir John Stanley tried to probe the alleged embargo-busting shipment of arms to Sierra Leone by Sandline International.

Minister criticised for telegrams block

The committee had written to the Foreign Secretary asking for access to telegrams sent from the British High Commission in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during the period when President Kabbah, who had been overthrown in a military coup, was restored to power.

The MPs welcomed Mr Cook's willingness to make available summaries of the telegrams, but criticised the decision to withhold the actual telegrams, as well as other documents and any other information "which falls within the remit of Sir Thomas Legg's investigation while it is in progress".