Blair urged to show Hutton papers

The Hutton inquiry invited people to correct factual errors

Prime Minister Tony Blair has been urged to publish a late submission made by the government to the Hutton inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly.

News of the extra papers raised "serious concerns", said Conservative leader Michael Howard.

But Mr Blair's spokesman said the inquiry had invited people to correct factual errors in previous evidence.

"If people were going off on the idea that what was referred to was new evidence, that was not the case."

The spokesman said the papers were submitted by the government shortly after the inquiry finished last year.

He would not say whether Mr Blair had corrected any of his own evidence to the inquiry.

Given the public interest involved, will you now publish this hitherto undisclosed submission? Michael Howard's letter to Tony Blair

"I don't intend to get into commentary on this," he added.

Lord Hutton is likely to publish his report later this month, but not as early as next week, the previously expected date.

Mr Howard has written to Mr Blair about the late submission.

"Your official spokesman has admitted only today that in November the government made a late submission to the Hutton inquiry," he said.

"This submission was therefore made after Sir Kevin Tebbit (top civil servant at the Ministry of Defence) gave his crucial evidence to the inquiry.

"This has given rise to very serious concerns. Given the public interest involved, will you now publish this hitherto undisclosed submission?"

Sir Kevin's recall to the inquiry was delayed while he recovered from an eye operation.

When he was cross-examined in November, he said Mr Blair chaired the "decisive" meeting where it was agreed to confirm Dr Kelly's identity as the suspected source for the BBC's controversial story about the Iraq weapons dossier.