Blair rejects MPs' calls to quiz advisers

Tony Blair is to reject demands by MPs for tougher powers to summon Whitehall officials in the wake of the Hutton and Butler inquiries.

The Prime Minister will formally refuse a request next month from senior Commons committee chairmen to be allowed to question political advisers and civil servants, the Evening Standard has learned.

His decision puts Downing Street on a collision course with senior backbenchers who claim they are being frustrated in their attempts to investigate controversies.

Mr Blair will throw a protective ring around his own key advisers, saying it would be wrong to expose them to the sort of intense scrutiny seen at the Hutton Inquiry, when a string of No10 figures were questioned in public about the Iraq dossier and the death of scientist David Kelly.

In a modest concession, Mr Blair will agree the first reforms in the rules governing select committees for 25 years. According to insiders, the changes will give limited rights to committees to see officials dealing with cross-Whitehall issues, but only where ministers cannot answer questions on their behalf.

The issue came to a head after Lord Hutton was able to summon and cross-examine a Who's Who of powerful government figures for his probe into the death of Dr Kelly. The former judge had no legal powers to compel witnesses yet managed to grill elusive figures such as No 10 chief-of-staff Jonathan Powell and the former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove.

By contrast, Commons committees complain that their requests to interview senior officials and even ministers are frequently rebuffed.

Committees also want more power to demand official documents. While Lord Hutton eve n obtained extracts from Alastair Campbell's diaries, MPs are routinely denied copies of emails, written advice to ministers and correspondence.