Phase One of the Hutton Inquiry: Part 2

Wednesday 20 August

SIR KEVIN TEBBIT Permanent Secretary, MoD.

He revealed that Tony Blair had ordered the investigation into Dr Kelly to be stepped up. He said he recommended that Dr Kelly not be sent to give public evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee, arguing that the scientist was "not on trial" but said he was overruled by Geoff Hoon.

GODRIC SMITH Prime Minister's official spokesman

Revealed that Alastair Campbell had suggested leaking to a newspaper the fact that an official had come forward who could be Mr Gilligan's source. He said No 10 officials gathered around his Downing Street computer to compile the press statement disclosing that the official had come forward.

What contradictions have emerged?

Documents show Mr Smith drafted a mock press release for the Foreign Affairs Committee that was highly critical of Mr Gilligan. It appeared to be written from the MPs' viewpoint.

What new questions arise?

Did No 10 try to "nobble" members of the Foreign Affairs Committee?

Will the witness be recalled?

Possibly.

TOM KELLY Prime Minister's official spokesman

He briefed journalists on 9 July giving them fresh information about the identity of the official who had come forward as Mr Gilligan's possible source. Admitted he blundered by later calling Dr Kelly a "Walter Mitty-style fantasist'', but said he was highlighting issues for the inquiry "from the Government's perspective".

What contradictions have emerged?

James Blitz of The Financial Times said he was telephoned by an unnamed Whitehall official who said he believed Dr Kelly was Mr Gilligan's source.

What new questions arise?

Why did Tom Kelly drop fresh clues about Dr Kelly's identity at the 9 July lobby briefing? Who decided the line to take that day? Was Tom Kelly Mr Blitz's Whitehall informant? Was Downing Street trying to smear Dr Kelly after his death?

Will the witness be recalled?

Possibly.

Thursday 21 August

DONALD ANDERSON Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Told how Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, ordered his committee not to question Dr Kelly about the Iraq weapons dossier. He said he acquiesced. He said he hoped the committee treated Dr Kelly "with respect".

NICK RUFFORD Journalist, The Sunday Times

Told how he went to Dr Kelly's house on the evening that the MoD started confirming the scientist's name to journalists. He said Dr Kelly had not had advice on how to deal with the impending media storm.

JAMES BLITZ Journalist, Financial Times

Told how he and a colleague discovered Dr Kelly's name in an internet search using clues gained from the afternoon lobby briefing by Tom Kelly. The name was confirmed by Pam Teare at the MoD. A "Whitehall official" then contacted Mr Blitz and said he believed Dr Kelly was the source.

RICHARD NORTON-TAYLOR Journalist, The Guardian

Spoke of "unease" within the intelligence services about the dossier.

PETER BEAUMONT Journalist, The Observer

Told how intelligence sources believed the threat from Iraq was "theoretical in nature".

TOM BALDWIN Journalist, The Times

Told how Richard Sambrook, the BBC's director of news, was behind a report suggesting Mr Gilligan's source was in Iraq.

MICHAEL EVANS Journalist, The Times

Told how he put a list of 20 likely names to the MoD. Dr Kelly was not on the list.

DAVID BROUCHER Foreign Office

Said Dr Kelly predicted that if war broke out in Iraq he "would be found dead in the woods".

LEE HUGHES Hutton inquiry secretariat

Outlined the documents submitted to the inquiry.

Tuesday 26 August

ANDREW MACKINLAY Member of Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Said getting information from Dr Kelly was like "extracting teeth from a whale". Defended aggressive questioning.

JOHN SCARLETT Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee

Revealed that the "45-minute" claim related not to missiles but to battlefield mortar shells or small-calibre weapons. He admitted there was disquiet in intelligence circles over the "45-minute" claim and agreed Mr Campbell had asked for some language to be "tightened up''. But he insisted he had "ownership, command and control" of the dossier.

What contradictions have emerged?

Brian Jones, a former senior member of the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS), said normal procedures were not followed in the run-up to the dossier's publication and said the final draft was not signed off by a full meeting of the JIC.

He said he was not allowed to see new intelligence that supposedly backed up the dossier's claims.

What new questions arise?

To what extent were Defence Intelligence Staff concerns about the dossier aired in the JIC? Why were they ignored? Why was the DIS not allowed to see new intelligence relating to the dossier's claims? Why did the full JIC not sign off the final draft of the dossier?

Will the witness be recalled?

Possibly.

SIR DAVID OMAND Cabinet Office Intelligence and Security Co-ordinator

It was his idea to give Dr Kelly's name to the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, the first step in identifying the scientist. He admitted that Downing Street did not have Dr Kelly's consent to make his name public. Sir David, who sits on the Joint Intelligence Committee, said he was not aware of any dissent about the dossier.

What contradictions have emerged?

Brian Jones, a former senior member of defence intelligence, said their concerns should have been aired in the JIC. But the JIC never met to sign off the final draft.

What new questions arise? Why were DIS concerns not discussed?

Wednesday 27 August

GEOFF HOON Defence Secretary

He said the strategy for naming Dr Kelly had been drawn up by his press office with input from No 10. He insisted Dr Kelly had been "very well treated" by the director of personnel at the MoD, Richard Hatfield, and said he had no direct involvement in the events that led to Dr Kelly being named.

He told Lord Hutton he was certainly "aware, probably second hand" about the handling of Dr Kelly's case.

What contradictions have emerged?

Mr Hoon's special adviser, Richard Taylor, told the inquiry the rationale for naming Dr Kelly had been discussed at Mr Hoon's daily briefing on the morning of 9 July, the day the MoD confirmed Dr Kelly's identity.

What new questions arise?

Who exactly approved the naming of Dr Kelly? Why did Mr Hoon not reveal his 9 July meeting?

Will the witness be recalled?

Almost certainly.

WING COMMANDER JOHN CLARK MoD

A colleague of Dr Kelly who gave a graphic picture of the scientist's last hours.

JAMES HARRISON MoD

Another colleague of Dr Kelly, who tried to call Dr Kelly's mobile telephone at around 5.50pm on the day he went missing. It rang out.

ANN TAYLOR Chairman of the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee

Told how Dr Kelly told a private meeting of the ISC the Government was "unwise" to claim that Iraq could deploy chemical and biological weapons within 45 minutes.

She refused to be "bounced" into a Downing Street plan to reveal that an official had come forward as Mr Gilligan's possible source.

Thursday 28 August

TONY BLAIR Prime Minister

Mr Blair took personal responsibility for the affair and revealed how he was intimately involved in the process leading to Dr Kelly's name being revealed to the press. Said Andrew Gilligan's allegations were so serious that, if true, he would have had to resign. He chaired a series of meetings about Dr Kelly's case in the days before the MoD's press statement on 8 July revealing that an official had come forward.

Mr Blair ordered that the most senior MoD and security service officials deal with the case. He chaired meetings at which it was decided to release the fact that an MoD official had come forward and apparently approved the naming of Dr Kelly. He even found time to "scan" the MoD press statement before it was released.

But he said he had not seen the MoD question-and-answer document which outlined the naming strategy and said there was no "specific discussion" in Downing Street about it. He also repeatedly insisted that he had put out the press statement only with the personal approval of Dr Kelly.

He admitted he was the first person in Government to reveal that an official had come forward, in a personal telephone call to Gavyn Davies, the BBC chairman.

What contradictions have emerged?

It is still unclear exactly who approved the naming of Dr Kelly and who drew up the process by which the MoD confirmed the name to journalists. It is also unclear who authorised Tom Kelly to drop hints about Dr Kelly's identity during his briefing for lobby journalists on 9 July, and why he embarked on the "Walter Mitty fantasist'' strategy.

What new questions arise?

Who approved the naming of Dr Kelly? Was it Mr Blair, at the meetings he chaired? If so, why had Mr Blair emphatically denied that he played a part in releasing the scientist's name after Dr Kelly's death? Did Mr Blair know that the full JIC had not signed off the final Iraq dossier? Was he told of any dissent in the Defence Intelligence Service about the dossier?

Will the witness be recalled?

Possibly.