ROBIN Cook, the Foreign Secretary, was back in the glare of adverse publicity yesterday as a powerful Commons committee claimed he failed to co-operate fully with its investigation into the arms-to-Africa affair.

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee published a report detailing its failed attempt to view telegrams received at the Foreign Office concerning Sierra Leone and asked for the views of the House.

In a further twist to the tortuous saga of arms-to-Africa, the committee has decided to recall Sir John Kerr, the head of the Foreign Office, who had ''to correct'' his evidence during the course of an appearance in front of the committee last week.

The Conservatives immediately attacked Mr Cook's ''unacceptable behaviour''. Shadow Commons Leader Gillian Shephard demanded to know what arrangements the Government was putting in place to seek parliamentary opinion following the committee's ''unprecedented step''.

During questions on forthcoming parliamentary business, Mrs Shephard told Leader of the House Ann Taylor: ''The unacceptable behaviour of Mr Cook with regard to the Foreign Affairs Committee raises profound issues concerning the conduct of all select committees, indeed of this House. Since the Foreign Affairs Committee has sought the views of this House, I ask you to explain what arrangements you will make for that to be done.''

Mrs Taylor defended the Foreign Secretary, pleading that earlier precedent had already been set. She said: ''You are wrong to say the Government is not respecting Standing Orders of the House.

''You will know that when Mr Cook wrote to the Select Committee, he did say that it was a long-standing practice of any party in government that telegrams should not be made public - because telegrams, like other classified documents, frequently contain frank and other sensitive reports of exchanges with other governments or with individuals who expect their confidences to be respected.''

She insisted: ''I think there is no point in the House trying to pre-empt the independent inquiry which has already been announced and whose findings will be made public.''

An inquiry headed by a former senior civil servant, Sir Thomas Legg QC, is looking into the Foreign Office's handling of claims that a British firm, Sandline International, was involved in weapons shipments to Sierra Leone despite a United Nations arms embargo.

Tory ex-Minister David Maclean (Penrith and the Border) protested: ''The Government is steeped deep in hypocrisy when one contrasts how it is handling the BSE inquiry and the 'Cooky cover-up' inquiry on the other hand.''

On another front, the Tories insisted the man chosen to head the arms-to-Africa inquiry was ''wholly inappropriate''.

Altogether 27 Conservative MPs signed a motion expressing ''dismay'' at reports that Sir Thomas - former permanent secretary at the Lord Chancellor's department - had been appointed to look into the Foreign Office's actions in the affair.

They reiterated calls for him to be replaced with a High Court judge and for the inquiry to be held in public.

In an Early Day Motion, which is unlikely to be debated but provides a forum for MPs to voice their concerns, the Tory MPs indicated their worries arose after reports that Sir Thomas was forced to admit to the Commons Public Accounts Committee that he had given an incorrect answer to the committee.

The incident in 1993 surrounded his statement - later corrected - that he had received no complaints from judges about cuts in legal aid.

The motion will be seen as an attempt on the part of the Tories to keep the issue alive after Customs and Excise announced they would not prosecute the firm at the centre of the row, Sandline International.

Sandline had been alleged to have shipped weapons to Sierra Leone in support of deposed President Kabbah, since restored to power, in breach of the UN arms embargo.