The British Prime Minister, in a letter made public yesterday, said his government was both committed to finding out the truth about Bloody Sunday, and sympathetic to concerns for soldiers' safety.
Mr Blair was replying to Conservative MP Mr Gerald Howarth, who is campaigning against the decision of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry not to grant anonymity to a number of ex-soldiers.
High Court judges said yesterday that they planned to give a swift ruling on a legal move by former soldiers who fired live rounds on Bloody Sunday to remain anonymous.
The Prime Minister said: "While I understand your concerns for the safety of the soldiers, I must make it absolutely clear that the inquiry is impartial, and that it must be seen to be impartial from the very outset. It is not for the Government to interfere with the way the inquiry chooses to conduct its business. The matter is now before the courts."
Mr Blair went on: "The government is both committed to the objective of finding out the truth about Bloody Sunday and sympathetic to the soldiers' concerns about their personal safety.
"The Ministry of Defence, acting as the soldiers' former employer and fulfilling its duty of care to them, has unequivocally supported their arguments in favour of anonymity.
"In the course of the recent judicial review, its counsel expressed its deep concern and took the court through its arguments in some detail."
Mr Howarth, MP for Aldershot, commented: "While I am fully apprised of the support that the Ministry of Defence is giving at a cost, so far, of £1.14 million, nevertheless the Prime Minister cannot wash his hands of this matter, which is of very great concern to those men who have already put their lives on the line for their country."