BRITAIN: The decision to issue a public statement disclosing that an official had been identified as the possible source of the BBC story had been taken during a series of meetings in Downing Street, the Hutton inquiry was told yesterday.
Britain's Defence Secretary, Mr Geoff Hoon, also said his own role had been merely to write to the chairman of the BBC Board of Governors, Mr Gavyn Davies, offering to name scientist Dr David Kelly in confidence on the basis that the BBC would immediately confirm or deny he was their source.
The BBC story accused Downing Street of "sexing-up" a dossier that claimed Iraq could deploy weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes. Mr Hoon's evidence yesterday was notable for his insistence that he was not involved in the decision or process by which Dr Kelly was named by the media.
"I think that came out of the meeting on the Tuesday in the Cabinet Office involving David Omand [the government intelligence and security co-ordinator] and others," he said.
"I simply was given a message to the effect that it was now appropriate for me to write to the chairman of the governors."
Mr Hoon said he was not shown a "question and answer" briefing for Ministry of Defence press officers drawn up by the director of news, Ms Pam Teare, saying Dr Kelly should be identified if journalists came up with the right name.
"I would not expect to be consulted about that kind of material," Mr Hoon said.
He acknowledged he had gone against the advice of Sir Kevin Tebbit, the senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, in requiring Dr Kelly to undergo a televised grilling by the Foreign Affairs Committee.
However, he said the decision had the backing of the Prime Minister and that Sir Kevin could have raised objections if he had still been concerned.
The inquiry also heard evidence from Wing Commander John Clark, an MoD colleague of Dr Kelly who accompanied him to the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
He said the scientist had been "thrown" when he was asked by the Liberal Democrat MP Mr David Chidgey whether he had been responsible for comments about the weapons dossier from an unnamed source quoted by BBC journalist Susan Watts.
Dr Kelly denied making the remarks, but the inquiry has subsequently been told that Mr Gilligan had informed Mr Chidgey in an e-mail that Dr Kelly was Ms Watts's source.
Wing Cmdr Clark said that two days later, July 17th, he had called Dr Kelly several times for information regarding his contacts with journalists so that the MoD could answer a series of Parliamentary questions.
The final call, shortly before 3 p.m., had been about his dealings with Ms Watts.
The next time he rang he was told by Dr Kelly's wife, Janice, that the scientist had gone for a walk. The following day his body was discovered in nearby woods.
The inquiry was adjourned to tomorrow.