Defence response to terror attacks has struck a balance, Blair tells Commons

Tony Blair yesterday rejected criticisms by an all-party committee of MPs that Britain was not prepared for the threat of a big terrorist attack.

Mr Blair was challenged by the Leader of the Opposition, Iain Duncan Smith, at Prime Minister's Questions over a hard-hitting report by the Defence Select Committee.

The report warned that Britain's emergency services lacked the capability and resources to cope with an attack on the scale of the 11 September atrocities. It said there was "inadequate central co- ordination and direction".

In particular, the report pointed to concerns that emergency services were not receiving enough training and equipment to deal with a chemical, biological or nuclear attack, while communications equipment contained "fundamental vulnerabilities". Security to prevent attacks on Royal Navy vessels while they were in port and on nuclear power stations should also be reviewed, the report said.

Mr Duncan Smith asked Mr Blair whether he agreed with the MPs' conclusion that Britain had not taken the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive examination of how it would cope with a disaster on the scale of 11 September. The Tory leader urged Mr Blair to take personal charge and said there had been a "lack of grip and direction" from the Government.

"The crucial point is not that there has been activity but, as the committee said, it is a mistake that activity supplants direction and real drive," he said. But the Prime Minister told MPs: "I don't accept that we have not made the most urgent preparations following 11 September."

He said the Government would respond in detail to the committee's recommendations, but said he believed the right balance had been struck between spending billions on protecting the country from every threat and doing nothing.

"The report itself begins by saying that since 11 September much has been done to strengthen the UK's defence against the terrorist threat," Mr Blair said. "We will, of course, study the additional things [the MPs] say we should do."

Bruce George, the committee's Labour chairman, said the MPs did not believe that David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, could devote all his energies to leading the anti-terrorist preparations. MPs had rejected the idea of a security director, but another cabinet minister for this area might be needed, he said.