The Government has promised that it would eventually hold an inquiry into the Iraq war despite seeing off an attempt by opposition parties to force an investigation.
At the end of a highly-charged Commons debate, a motion tabled by the Welsh and Scottish nationalists to establish a wide-ranging inquiry into the Government's conduct was defeated by 298 votes to 273 - a majority of 25.
Afterwards, however, Defence Secretary Des Browne pledged the Government would hold a "retrospective inquiry" into the events surrounding the invasion and its aftermath once the situation in Iraq permitted.
"When the time is right, of course there will be such an inquiry," he told BBC News 24. Shadow foreign secretary William Hague welcomed the announcement, saying: "We clearly did make progress."
There was no indication when such an investigation would be held, although comments by ministers made clear that it would not take place while British troops were engaged in significant numbers.
The debate in the Commons was marked by a series of angry exchanges, with many Labour MPs furious that the Conservatives sided with the other opposition parties, despite having backed the war.
Just 12 Labour rebels voted for the nationalist motion - despite predictions of a bigger revolt, although it was still sufficient to slash the Government's majority of 62 by almost two thirds.
Many Labour MPs who remain deeply critical of the war nevertheless refused to join what they regarded as a piece of political "opportunism" by the Tories to embarrass the Government.
Closing the debate, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram bitterly attacked the Conservatives for allying themselves with the nationalists who, he said, were seeking to "undermine" the United Kingdom.
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Afterwards, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said it had been a hollow victory for the Government, insisting: "There is deep unease about Iraq in the House of Commons, which the Prime Minister ignores at his peril."
