Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell today challenged Tony Blair at Prime Minister’s Questions to name the minister responsible for withholding information from the OECD.

Mr Blair replied: “If you want to blame anyone for this, blame me. I am perfectly happy to take responsibility for it.”

Ming followed up by asking: “Whatever happened to Robin Cook’s ethical foreign policy?”

The Guardian reports:

Sir Menzies has taken a leading role in criticising the government’s attempts to block scrutiny of the deal.

Yesterday he said: “We need a full investigation to determine whether the Ministry of Defence has been directly involved in processing payments to Prince Bandar.

At Prime Minister’s Question Time today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell asked Tony Blair about the conflict in Darfur, which Ming said had led to the deaths of 200,000 people and displaced 2 million from their homes. He asked: “What can the people of Darfur expect from the G8 summit?”

The Prime Minister promised he would be pressing the G8 to “renew commitment to sanctions” on Darfur and to put pressure on the Sudanese government to stick to the terms of a peace deal. Responding, Ming called for an arms embargo and more logistical support for the African Union peace keeping force, in addition to tougher sanctions against the Sudanese government. This came as President Bush stated that the US might support the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Darfur to help put an end to the fighting there.

The United States and Britain have both threatened Sudan’s government with tougher UN sanctions if Khartoum does not support international efforts to end the conflict in Darfur.

At Prime Minister’s questions today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell attacked Tony Blair for disregarding concerns about risk, cost and toxic waste in relation to nuclear power.

He said that the Government should instead invest in wave, wind and tidal power and clean coal technology, which would give Britain a secure non-nuclear future.

He asked:

“Can the Prime Minister explain why in his manifestos of 1997, 2001 and 2005 he did not seek a mandate for a renewed generation of nuclear power stations. Why is he so hell-bent on nuclear power now?

“Why is it that the Prime Minister is so committed to the idea of nuclear power in a way which suggests he disregards the issue of risk and cost and toxic waste. Where is the investment in wave, wind and tidal power and clean coal technology that would give us a secure non-nuclear future?”

Raising the issue of chaos in the tax credit system, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell asked the Prime Minister today why the Government had failed to implement the recommendations put forward by the parliamentary ombudsman in June 2005 and why, in the meantime, it has been chasing thousands of poor families through the court system.
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Speaking at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions Menzies Campbell called Tony Blair’s decision to renew the Trident nuclear weapon system “hasty”. The Liberal Democrats would cut Britain’s nuclear arsenal by half and kick-start disarmament talks.

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