12:42pm Wednesday 3rd December 2003
By Local London Reporter
Lord Hutton's report on the death of David Kelly will be released to the BBC at the same time as the Government, in a dramatic break with tradition.
All those represented at the inquiry - including the Kelly family, BBC chiefs, journalist Andrew Gilligan, the MoD and Downing Street - will have around 24 hours to read the report, and prepare their response, before it is released.
Lee Hughes, secretary to the Hutton Inquiry, said yesterday, "The Government will have no prior knowledge of the contents before the other Parties."
Lord Hutton was responding to reports the Government would be given an advance copy - as is usual in the release of judges' reports - before other parties to the inquiry.
Many of those criticised in the report have already been warned in private letters from Lord Hutton.
Some letters were sent between the inquiry's first stage, opening questioning, and the second stage, cross-examination by counsel representing interested parties.
Mr Hughes said: "If there is to be any additional criticism of a person in the report which was not set out in such a letter, that person will be given notice of it and will have an opportunity to respond well in advance of the publication of the report."
Parties were warned they would only receive their pre-release copy of the report if they undertook not to leak details before publication.
The full report is expected to be published early in 2004
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