Lord Butler says caveats about the intelligence were not given

Lord Butler was speaking publicly for the first time since his inquiry into intelligence on Iraq.

He also warned that the worst decisions were made when the proper procedures for Cabinet government were bypassed.

And he said it would have been unfair had new MI6 director John Scarlett alone paid a price for the failings.

'Thin intelligence'

Lord Butler was speaking on Tuesday during a House of Lords debate on the situation in Iraq.

He repeated his inquiry's criticism that the government's September 2002 dossier did not make clear intelligence about claims that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons was "very thin".

There is a big struggle, literally a life-death struggle, going on in Iraq Tony Blair

That failing came despite the Joint Intelligence Committee's (JIC) assessments being "quite clear" about the caveats, said Lord Butler.

He continued: "We regard it as a serious weakness, a weakness which subsequently came home to roost as the conclusion about deployable stocks of chemical and biological weapons have turned out to be wrong."

'Heads roll'

Lord Butler complained that many people had portrayed his report as saying that nobody was to blame for the problems.

In fact, he had blamed "no individual".

The government dossier was compiled by then JIC chairman John Scarlett.

Ministers insist progress is being made in Iraq

Lord Butler stood by his report's conclusion that Mr Scarlett should still become the next head of MI6.

Without the inquiry's backing, Mr Scarlett would almost certainly have been forced out.

"He alone among the many people involved, would have paid the penalty for the shortcomings we identified," Lord Butler argued.

"That might have satisfied the public demand that some head should roll but it would have been unfair in respect of what were collective shortcomings."

Worst decisions?

Lord Butler's inquiry warned the "informality" of government procedures reduced the scope for collective cabinet decision making.

He told peers there was no ideal system and confessed he had not cracked how to adapt the system to a fast-moving media world.

But it was still something worth pursuing as it ensured policies were scrutinised by ministers with a wider perspective than those grappling with the issues on a day-to-day basis.

"Some of the decisions which turned out worst for the governments I served were in my view due to bypassing that procedure," he said.

"I hope this and future governments will take these points seriously in the interests not of constitutional nicety, but of effective governance."

'Planning failure'

Lord Butler was Cabinet secretary under Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair. He retired in 1998 while reportedly concerned about alleged politicisation of the civil service.

Another Butler inquiry member, ex-Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Inge, also underlined the limitations of intelligence.

But he said it would be a "disaster" if things which went wrong over Iraq made Britain reluctant to use military force where necessary in the future.

Lord Inge said there had been a "serious planning failure" over the post-war situation, with too little money, equipment and personnel available.

Iraq battle

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Blair told reporters he was determined to give terrorists "no leeway" in Iraq.

He said: "There is a big struggle, literally a life-death struggle, going on in Iraq but I have got no doubt what side we should be on."

Veteran Labour MP Tam Dalyell called for a "firm and early" date to be set for British troops to withdraw from Iraq because they were seen an army of occupation.

But Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said there was progress and pulling out British troops tomorrow would mean "even more mayhem".