An emergency Commons debate has been called to examine newspaper phone-hacking amid fresh pressure on Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg warned Labour not to "second guess" police inquiries into fresh allegations over the affair, as he stood in for David Cameron at question time.
He said Mr Coulson denied any knowledge of the practice when he was editor of the News of the World, and said it was "for the police alone" to decide if a new investigation was required.
But immediately after the weekly session, Speaker John Bercow said he had accepted a request from Labour former minister Chris Bryant - whose mobile phone was hacked - for a debate to be held on Thursday.
Mr Clegg was tackled on the explosive issue by former justice secretary Jack Straw during PMQs in the Commons.
Mr Coulson always denied any knowledge of the illegal eavesdropping, for which the NotW's ex-royal editor Clive Goodman and a private detective were jailed in 2007.
But one of his former reporters, Sean Hoare, reignited the row last week by publicly claiming his boss had been aware of the activities.
Senior Scotland Yard Yard officer John Yates has indicated he is likely to speak to Mr Coulson as he considers whether to reopen the police probe.
Repeatedly pressed by Mr Straw to say whether he personally believed Mr Coulson's denial of any involvement, Mr Clegg said the Number 10 communications chief's denial "speaks for itself".
He added: "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. "It is now for the police, and the police alone, to decide whether new evidence has come to light which needs to be investigated."
An emergency Commons debate has been called to examine newspaper phone-hacking amid fresh pressure on Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg warned Labour not to "second guess" police inquiries into fresh allegations over the affair, as he stood in for David Cameron at question time.
He said Mr Coulson denied any knowledge of the practice when he was editor of the News of the World, and said it was "for the police alone" to decide if a new investigation was required.
But immediately after the weekly session, Speaker John Bercow said he had accepted a request from Labour former minister Chris Bryant - whose mobile phone was hacked - for a debate to be held on Thursday.
Mr Clegg was tackled on the explosive issue by former justice secretary Jack Straw during PMQs in the Commons.
Mr Coulson always denied any knowledge of the illegal eavesdropping, for which the NotW's ex-royal editor Clive Goodman and a private detective were jailed in 2007.
But one of his former reporters, Sean Hoare, reignited the row last week by publicly claiming his boss had been aware of the activities.
Senior Scotland Yard Yard officer John Yates has indicated he is likely to speak to Mr Coulson as he considers whether to reopen the police probe.
Repeatedly pressed by Mr Straw to say whether he personally believed Mr Coulson's denial of any involvement, Mr Clegg said the Number 10 communications chief's denial "speaks for itself".
He added: "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. "It is now for the police, and the police alone, to decide whether new evidence has come to light which needs to be investigated."