Boris Johnson has been urged to appear before MPs to explain the credibility of allegations made against Donald Trump in an explosive dossier.

Senior Labour MP Mary Creagh said it is clear the UK Government has a "great deal of knowledge" about the issues, with a need for the Foreign Secretary to also explain how Britain is preventing cyber attacks from hostile states.

Reports have named former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, 52, who runs London-based Orbis Business Intelligence, as having compiled the 35-page file on US President-elect Mr Trump.

Read more: Former MI6 officer 'in hiding' following Trump dossier publication

It contains contains unverified allegations that Russian security officials have compromising material on Mr Trump that could be used to blackmail him.

Mr Trump has branded the dossier "fake news" and "utter nonsense".

Speaking in the Commons, Ms Creagh said: "Can we have a statement from the Foreign Secretary on his assessment of the credibility of the allegations made in the dossier about President-elect Trump?

"It is clear the UK Government does have a great deal of knowledge about these things.

"This is a dossier that was written in the UK and the UK Government has both placed and lifted a D-notice on the former MI6 officer who wrote the allegations.

"And we had a warning before Christmas from the head of MI6 about hostile states attempting to subvert western democratic processes.

"Can we have a statement from the Foreign Secretary on what action he is taking to prevent ourselves and our Nato allies from being subject to cyber attacks and propaganda attacks from hostile states."

Read more: Former MI6 officer 'in hiding' following Trump dossier publication

Commons Leader David Lidington replied: "The Foreign Secretary and indeed the Prime Minister have repeatedly made clear their concerns about the cyber capacity and cyber tactics of Russia and of other countries towards the interests of the United Kingdom.

"You will understand I can't go into details about these matters but these are issues that are considered regularly by the National Security Council."

Cabinet minister Mr Lidington also argued against state interference in the British media, as the SNP called for a debate on "fake news".

SNP Commons leader Pete Wishart told Mr Lidington: "After yesterday's extraordinary press conference in the United States and what may or may not have happened in that Russian hotel room - I don't want to focus on that part of the debate - can we have a debate on fake news in this country?

"I remember the days before fake news was cool, when we were told there was 45 minutes for weapons of mass destruction to reach the United Kingdom.

"We're also told by some news organisations that this Government is competent and actually knows what it's going to be doing with Brexit."

Mr Lidington, in his reply, said: "What is said in the United States is a matter for the people of the United States.

"But I think that while all of us do from time to time have reasons to complain about the character or accuracy of various news reports or articles in the press, that's a fact of life in a free society.

Read more: Former MI6 officer 'in hiding' following Trump dossier publication

"And I would always want to err on the side of saying that there should be many and discordant voices without the state interfering with what is said by either broadcast or written media.

"I think that is the better way to proceed and the sort of attempts we sometimes have to intimidate individual journalists, as we saw shamefully in the closing weeks of the referendum in Scotland in 2014 when individual journalists were singled out for attack, is not something which any member of the House should be taking pride in."