ALASTAIR CAMPBELL failed to mention his key proposal to strengthen the “45-minute” claim in the Iraq weapons dossier when he submitted evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC).

Documents submitted to the Hutton inquiry show that Mr Campbell, the outgoing director of communications, submitted some of his proposed changes in written evidence to the committee. However, these omitted his suggestion that wording in the September 16 draft of the weapons dossier should be changed to toughen the 45-minute claim.

The text in Chapter 3 of this version, on page 17, was hardened on Mr Campbell’s suggestion. In the September 16 dossier it read: “The Iraqi military may be able to deploy chemical or biological weapons within 45 minutes of an order to do so.” In the final version, published on September 24, the words have been strengthened to: “The Iraqi military are able to deploy these weapons within 45 minutes of an order to do so.”

In the final version this strengthened wording is also used in the foreword, and the executive summary.

In a note to John Scarlett, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, dated September 17, Mr Campbell says: “On page 17, 2 lines from the bottom ‘may’ is weaker than in the summary.” Mr Scarlett replies the following day: “The language you queried on the old page 17 has been tightened.”

A note from Steve Priestley, clerk to the FAC, asks Mr Campbell for all requests to change the dossier which were acted on or not acted on. Mr Campbell gives most of the list, but omits the changes on 45 minutes.

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