British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has tried to play down fresh controversy surrounding the 45-minute claim in the British government's Iraq dossier.
Mr Tony Blair admitted yesterday he had been unaware that the controversial claim referred only to battlefield weapons when he asked MPs to vote for war.
In a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Hoon said the type of weapon the 45-minute claim referred to was "not a huge issue" at the time.
Mr Hoon had admitted to the Hutton Inquiry he had known the claim had probably referred to battlefield weapons but had done nothing to correct the media reporting.
Mr Blair's disclosure has raised further questions about the handling of intelligence in the run up to the invasion of Iraq.
It came as a former intelligence official who gave evidence to the Hutton Inquiry said crucial material that convinced spy chiefs Iraq was continuing to produce chemical and biological weapons may have been "misinterpreted".
The dossier, published in September 2002, stated that Iraq had some chemical and biological weapons capable of being deployed within 45 minutes.
However, Joint Intelligence Committee chairman John Scarlett told the Hutton Inquiry it only referred to tactical battlefield weapons - such as shells and mortars - and not long-range ballistic missiles, as had been widely assumed at the time.
PA