Andy Coulson faces new Commons 'phone-taps' attack

An emergency Commons debate will be held tomorrow into the Andy Coulson phone-hacking allegations, the Speaker announced this afternoon.

John Bercow granted a Labour request after mounting protests that the Metropolitan Police failed to inform MPs whose phone details were held by the News of the World, suggesting they had been targeted.

The tabloid's former editor, who denies that he knew about illegal hacking, is now David Cameron's media adviser at No 10.

In noisy scenes at question time, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg defended Mr Coulson against Labour attacks.

Shadow justice secretary Jack Straw said: "Do you expect us to believe that the only person who knew nothing about phone hacking at the News of the World was the editor, the very man who the Prime Minister has brought into the heart of this Government?"

Seeking to exploit Liberal Democrat concern about the issue, he taunted that deputy leader Simon Hughes was a possible victim and that Energy Secretary Chris Huhne had said Mr Coulson was either "complicit or incompetent".

Mr Clegg said it was for the police to decide if there was any evidence against the embattled aide: "As for Mr Coulson, he has made it very, very clear that he took responsibility for something of which he had no knowledge at the News of the World and he refutes all the allegations that have been made to the contrary. That statement speaks for itself."

Labour MPs said Mr Clegg's comments fell short of a personal endorsement of Mr Coulson.

Detectives will interview another former News of the World employee over the hacking claims.

Former reporter Ross Hall was named in a previous inquiry by MPs as someone who transcribed a number of tapped telephone messages for senior colleagues at the paper. Today The Guardian reported that Hall was willing to talk to Scotland Yard and the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry.