Hutton Inquiry goes on TV

Dr Kelly said he did not believe he was the BBC's main source

Six weeks after it began, the inquiry into the death of the weapons expert Dr David Kelly is drawing to a close.

All the witnesses have given evidence, and many have been recalled for cross examination.

Today the lawyers make their closing arguments - and, for the first time in this inquiry, they will be seen live on TV.

This morning, Breakfast asked: so what have we learned - about David Kelly himself - and about whether Iraq really did pose a threat to the West?

We spoke to arms inspector Scott Ritter.

We talked to the former editor of The Times, Peter Stothard, who spent a month behind the scenes at number 10 during the recent war.

We heard from chemical weapons expert Dr Alistair Hay, who knew Dr Kelly personally

We discussed the impact on Tony Blair's leadership of the Kelly affair. We talked to Michael Dobbs, a former Tory Party deputy chairman who wrote the book House of Cards - and to political commentator Simon Hoggart.

Recordings of our interviews can be seen by clicking on the right hand side of this story.

Further details from BBC News Online

Five lawyers - for the government, the BBC, Dr Kelly's family, reporter Andrew Gilligan and the inquiry itself - will each have an hour to put their case.

Lord Hutton will then write his report, expected to be published next month.

Dr Kelly apparently killed himself after being named as the source of a story that the government "sexed up" a dossier on the threat from Iraq.

The inquiry has heard more than 74 witnesses over 22 days, and studied thousands of documents.

A poll suggests the inquiry has badly damaged Prime Minister Tony Blair's reputation.

An open verdict was recorded when Margaret Kelly died from bronchopneumonia due to barbiturate poisoning in 1964 Kelly's mother suicide theory

The Guardian/ICM poll found Mr Blair's personal ratings slumped over the summer from -17 in July to -29 points now. However, 61% of voters remain happy with him.

At the same time, it has been claimed that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq by the group looking for them.

An interim report from the Iraqi Survey Group will say its inspectors have not even unearthed "minute amounts of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons material", a source told the BBC.

Dr Kelly found himself at the centre of a major row between the government and the BBC after admitting talking to journalist Andrew Gilligan, who reported that the government had "sexed up" its dossier on how much of a threat Iraq posed.

Time limit

In his closing submissions at the inquiry into his death, Jeremy Gompertz QC, counsel for the Kelly family, is expected to focus on the way in which Dr Kelly's identity was made public.

Jonathan Sumption QC, for the government, is likely to defend the MoD's treatment of Dr Kelly.

He is expected to put the government's case that the serious allegations being made by the BBC were simply wrong.

We must not give any ground which threatens the fundamental independence of our news output BBC chairman Gavyn Davies BBC's Davies defends governors

Andrew Caldecott QC, for the BBC, is likely to talk about the corporation's determination "not to buckle" from the pressure emanating from Downing Street.

Mr Gilligan's counsel, Heather Rogers, is likely to admit her client made errors, but reported the story in good faith.

Finally, counsel for the inquiry, James Dingemans QC, is expected to provide a broad overview of all the witnesses, giving equal weight to each aspect.

All five lawyers have been set an approximate time limit of one hour.

The inquiry will sit from 1015BST and finish by 1630, with a break to allow the broadcast of Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy's key-note speech at his party's annual conference in the middle.

Mother's 'suicide'

On Wednesday, the inquiry heard from various witnesses including psychiatrists, the BBC chairman, and Dr Kelly's line manager.

It heard that Dr Kelly had believed his own mother had committed suicide in 1964.

Medical experts told the inquiry depressive illness could be passed down through generations, but there seemed to be no evidence of that in Dr Kelly's case.

THE HUTTON INQUIRY 22 days of oral evidence 74 witnesses Thousands of documents Key documents: Who said what to whom?

BBC chairman Gavyn Davies denied the corporation's governors had decided to back the BBC's management no matter what.

He said he had issued a supportive statement because he was concerned about the "intolerable" pressure coming from Downing Street, and was determined to stand up for BBC independence.

Dr Kelly's line manager, Dr Bryan Wells, was cross-examined about how Dr Kelly was treated after he admitted meeting BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan, who wrote the controversial story.

He was quizzed over the phone call in which he told Dr Kelly his name had been given to journalists.

Dr Kelly had "expressed no concern at all" at the news because he had accepted by that stage that his name would emerge, said Dr Wells.

What are the lessons of the Hutton Inquiry into David Kelly's death?