Labour MP Donald Anderson told MPs he had spoken to an official of the Foreign Office, Andy Henderson, regarding the Foreign Affairs Committee's report into the arms-to-Africa affair.

Robin Cook's department received leaked reports

The meeting took place on 8 February, and Mr Anderson, who is also the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he had divulged details of the committee's deliberations and the contents of their report into the affair before its publication.

Mr Anderson had denied doing both during Monday's Commons debate on the leaking of the committee's report to Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

During the debate, Labour MP Ernie Ross apologised to MPs for leaking a draft of the report and the House decided to accept without a vote the recommendation of the Standards and Privileges Committee that Mr Ross should be suspended from Parliament for 10 working days.

He had already resigned his position on the committee.

Total rebuttal

During that debate, Mr Anderson said: "I totally rebut the idea that I fully briefed that official [Mr Henderson] or indeed, any minister or adviser, or that I divulged or intended to divulge details of the report.

"The allegation of a full briefing is a serious one.

"It goes to the heart of the integrity of the committee and to the authority of its chairman".

Following Mr Anderson's speech the relevant Foreign Office minute was placed in the House of Commons Library.

Remarks 'qualified'

After reading the minute Mr Anderson told MPs: "Mr Henderson's minute does go beyond what I told the House" and in fact, he said, it "qualified" his earlier remarks.

He said: "I spoke in good faith in yesterday's debate. I relied on the letter which the clerk had received from Mr Henderson and which I assumed to be the totality of the disclosure.

Statement 'inaccurate'

"I myself supported the release of Mr Henderson's minute, however I now understand that my letter to the clerk and my statement to the House were not in fact accurate and in the circumstances I apologise."

The Swansea East MP continued saying he had been guilty of "discourtesy in revealing to the FCO certain aspects of the report and the committee's deliberations prior to the report's publication".

Tory calls for Cook to apologise

Speaking later, Tory foreign affairs spokesperson Cheryl Gillan called on Mr Cook to follow the two MPs and apologise over the leaks.

She said: "Donald Anderson was right to apologise. Ernie Ross was right to apologise.

"The only one who has never apologised is Robin Cook. Today's statement places him at the heart of this fiasco.