A very civil encounter in the Boothroyd Room

It was an historic event but Tony Blair's appearance before committee chairmen turned into a bloodless affair

Like all big ticket events, the advance publicity bordered on the hyperbolic. In an unprecedented and historic clash, the Prime Minister would face a fierce cross-examination from the most ruthless and persistent interrogators in the Commons. Westminster was buzzing with anticipation.

But, as things turned out, Tony Blair's appearance before the little-known Liaison Committee was as low-key as the spartan surroundings of the Boothroyd Room, where the encounter took place.

The committee – including many veteran backbenchers famed for baring their fangs in scathing critiques of government policy – turned out to be more polite and civil than even the Prime Minister himself could have hoped.

The panel confronting a shirt-sleeved Mr Blair comprised the chairmen of 35 Commons select committees, who threw questions at him from the a whole range of government policies, from Iraq and Ulster to the future of the parliamentary lobby system and the National Health Service's use of acupuncture.

At the end of their light grilling, they had not drawn the Prime Minister's blood; in fact they barely scented it.

The closest they came to a confession of failure came when Mr Blair conceded his Government had concentrated too much on policy presentation during his first spell in office and promised to do things differently in future.

Asked whether he had decided to break the convention that Prime Ministers did not appear before select committee because he wanted to shake off the Government's reputation for "spin", he virtually admitted the point. He said: "When you are in opposition for 18 years, as we were, there is a tendency to believe the announcement is the reality, and in opposition in many ways it is, as you are never in a position to deliver anything on the ground.

"For the first period in government there was a tendency to believe the same situation applied. It isn't. The announcement is only the intention. Doing it this way, making sure we have more ministerial statements, trying to reach out, is a way of overcoming what is the perception, I think unfairly, of news management."

But he stood by plans to bolster Downing Street's influence over the rest of Whitehall, insisting he made "no apology for having a strong centre". He said: "If you go back in politics, I think prime ministers fall into two categories – those that are considered to have a strong centre are accused of being dictatorial, and those that are not are seen as being weak. You pays your money, you takes your choice."

Challenged directly by Sir George Young, the former Tory cabinet minister, on whether he had introduced a presidential style of government, Mr Blair replied: "I truly believe not. I think that's unfair and wrong."

Mr Blair said his Downing Street staff numbers were matched by those of Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, and fell far short of the teams working for the French President or German Chancellor. He said: "I can't believe there is a single prime minister who hasn't wanted the prime minister's writ to run. I can't believe there is a prime minister sitting in Downing Street saying, 'Let them just get on with it'."

He dismissed as "absurd" the notion that special advisers played a significant role in the operation of government but he rejected calls to cut their number and ruled out suggestions that they should give evidence to select committees.

"Ministers are accountable and ministers should be held to account," he said.

Mr Blair denied his televised press conference had been organised last month as a first step towards diluting the lobby system. He said: "Sometimes you can't win on this. If you have a press conference you are criticised for being presidential. If you don't, people say you aren't being open with us." The Prime Minister also warned that President Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programme in Iraq represented "a gathering threat" to which the world must respond. He argued the terrorist attacks of 11 September demonstrated that some security threats were so grave that they had to be tackled pre-emptively.

Mr Blair told Donald Anderson, the Labour chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, that there were "various rough linkages" between Iraq and al-Qa'ida. He said: "What we should learn from that is that if there is a gathering threat or danger, let us deal with it before it materialises rather than afterwards. But there is a threat ... the options are open, but we do have to deal with it."

On the euro, Mr Blair stuck religiously to the well-worn formula over membership of the European single currency: the decision would be put to a referendum once the five economic tests had been met.

As the session started, Mr Blair described his appearances at Prime Ministers Questions as "80 per cent theatre" but there was little compelling drama yesterday because of an unexpected outbreak of courtesy between politicians.

Q. Gwyneth Dunwoody, Transport
If special advisers don't make policy, why did you ask Lord Birt and the forward strategy unit to look at the future of transport?

A. Tony Blair
Because I think it's a good idea to have lots of people who can give you interesting insights and ideas.

Q. Donald Anderson, Foreign Affairs
President Clinton was for the containment of Iraq. President Bush talks of regime change. Has our policy in the UK evolved in just the same way?

A. Tony Blair
There are no decisions made in relation to Iraq at all, but there is no doubt that Iraq poses a threat – and this is an issue that has to be dealt with.

Q. Tony Wright, Public Administration
Does the fact you have come here mark a completely new style of government?

A. Tony Blair
I suppose ... it might seem like something of a Damascene conversion to appear in front of a select committee. I think really it is as a result of my desire to try and engage in the political debate in a different way.

Q. Chris Mullin, Home Affairs
Do you remember the last election? Presumably you had a sneaking feeling that you might win?

A. Tony Blair
It was possible. It was always possible, yeah.