Hutton castigates BBC over 'unfounded' Iraq report

Lord Hutton said today that BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan's claim that the Government probably knew the 45-minute claim in its Iraq dossier was wrong was "unfounded", as was his claim that the report had been 'sexed up'.

BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies became the first casualty of the Hutton Report, according to the corporation's own political editor.

The judge criticised the BBC's editorial system as defective in that it allowed Mr Gilligan to broadcast his report without editors having seen a script.

He also criticised the BBC's system for handling complaints and its governors for not considering whether the allegation should have been broadcast. The governors should have made "more detailed investigations" of Mr Gilligan's notes.

In detailing a summary of his long-awaited 328-page report into the death of the weapons expert Dr David Kelly, Lord Hutton said that the Government had not acted in a "dishonorable, underhanded or duplicitous" way in revealing identity of the scientist.

The Government's belief that Dr Kelly's name was bound to come out was well founded, he said.He concluded that there had been no underhand strategy in revealing Dr Kelly's name to the media.

Lord Hutton said the Ministry of Defence was "at fault and is to be criticised" for not informing Dr Kelly that its press office would confirm his name if a journalist suggested it.

It must have been a shock and very upsetting for Dr Kelly that he was told in a brief telephone call from his line manager that a press officer in his own department had confirmed his name to the press.

However, he said Dr Kelly's exposure to the press was only one of the factors which contributed to him being placed under great stress and that MoD officials had tried to help and support him.

"Because of his intensely private nature, Dr Kelly was not an easy man to help or to whom to give advice," Lord Hutton said.

The judge said that Dr Kelly committed suicide by slashing his left wrist - and nobody could have foreseen his actions.

He said nobody involved in the controversy surrounding the scientist could have "contemplated Dr Kelly would take his own life", no matter what pressures he had been put under.

He said: "I am satisfied that Dr Kelly took his own life by cutting his left wrist."

His death was hastened by taking a "concoction" of pills, said the judge. He added no third party was involved.

Dr Kelly's body was found in woodland near his Oxfordshire home on July 18 last year, the day after he disappeared. Mr Blair ordered the Hutton Inquiry into his death days later.

Dr Kelly had been identified as the source for reporter Andrew Gilligan's BBC Radio 4 Today programme broadcast on 29 May, saying the Government had "sexed up" its dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and had included information probably knowing it to be wrong.

Andrew Marr reported that Mr Davies was to resign moments after BBC chief executive Greg Dyke apologised for the report at the centre of the row with the Government.

The BBC's press office was unable to immediately confirm the departure of Mr Davies, who is a close friend of senior Government figures.

But it was reported that he would be tendering his resignation at a meeting this evening.

In his first statement on the Hutton report, which criticised the BBC, Mr Dyke accepted that "certain key allegations" reported by Andrew Gilligan on the Today programme on May 29 last year were wrong and said the BBC apologised for them.

But he added: "However, we would point out again that at no stage in the last eight months have we accused the Prime Minister of lying and have said this publicly on several occasions."

Mr Dyke's statement said: "Dr Kelly's death was a tragedy for his family and, again, we offer our sincere condolences to them.

"We note Lord Hutton's criticisms of the BBC. Many of these relate to mistakes which the BBC has already acknowledged in its submission to the inquiry and for which we have already expressed regret.

"Thanks to the process of Lord Hutton's inquiry, we now know more about the evolution of the September dossier.

"The BBC does accept that certain key allegations reported by Andrew Gilligan on the Today programme on May 29 last year were wrong and we apologise for them."

Mr Dyke added: "However, we would point out again that at no stage in the last eight months have we accused the Prime Minister of lying and have said this publicly on several occasions.

"The dossier raised issues of great public interest. Dr Kelly was a credible source.

"Provided his allegations were reported accurately, the public in a modern democracy had a right to be made aware of them.

"The greater part of the BBC's coverage of the dossier fulfilled this purpose."

In a pre–recorded statement read out by Mr Dyke and released at 4.30pm, the BBC boss said action had already been taken to "improve our procedures".

He added: "A new complaints and compliance structure has been put in place under the Deputy Director General.

"We have a new set of rules for BBC journalists who wish to write for newspapers or magazines and we will be publishing revised editorial guidelines.

"There are other findings in the report, including those about the dossier, which we will consider carefully.

"The BBC governors will be meeting formally tomorrow and will give further consideration to Lord Hutton's report.

"No further comment will be made until after that meeting."