Return To An Address Of The Honourable The House Of Commons Dated 28th January 2004 For The Report Of The Inquiry Into The Circumstances Surrounding The Death Of Dr David Kelly Cmg PDF Download

This publication contains the report of the independent inquiry by Lord Hutton into the events leading up to the death of Dr. David Kelly, the government weapons expert, in July 2003, after he had been publicly named as the source of a report by Andrew Gilligan on BBC Radio Fours Today programme, which had alleged that the government had pressurised the Joint Intelligence Committee to exaggerate the military threat posed by Iraq in its September 2002 dossier. The question of whether intelligence about Iraqs weapons of mass destruction justified going to war falls outside the scope of the inquiry. The report concludes that Dr Kelly took his own life because he felt he had been publicly disgraced after being named as the source for the BBC report, but nobody was at fault in not contemplating the possibility of his suicide. Dr Kelly had broken official civil service procedures in having an unauthorised meeting with Andrew Gilligan, a fact that Dr Kelly later recognised. Due to uncertainties in Mr Gilligans evidence and note-taking, and in his misuse of language, it is not possible to reach a definite conclusion as to what Dr Kelly actually said. However, the report states its satisfaction that Dr Kelly did not say that the Government had insisted in the insertion of the 45 minute claim probably knowing it to be wrong. Therefore, the allegation is judged to have been unfounded. The BBC editorial system is found to have been defective in its failure to properly check the details of the allegations made by Andrew Gilligan before their broadcast, and the BBC Governors and management system was at fault by failing to fully investigate complaints made by Alastair Campbell. The government is cleared of any dishonourable or underhand conduct in the public naming of Dr. Kelly. Downing Street was entitled to suggest changes to the September dossier, and it was appropriate for John Scarlett, head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, to take account of these. There was no covert strategy by the Ministry of Defence to leak his name, although they were at fault for failing to give Dr Kelly sufficient notice that his name had been made public.