Blair won't be warned of Hutton findings

Tony Blair will be given no advance warning before Lord Hutton sends him his report into the death of scientist David Kelly, it emerged today.

The senior judge is to break with tradition by failing to give key figures named in his report any opportunity to challenge his findings.

His decision means that Mr Blair, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and other government members could have as little as 24 hours to react before the document is published.

Lord Hutton is expected to send his final report to Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, the minister who commissioned it, early in January.

Ministers are then set to publish it almost immediately - mainly to avoid accusations of a cover-up. Publication day could be 12 or 13 January.

A senior government source said today: "It's going to be a bolt from the blue. We're being given no advance warning."

Lord Hutton's quickfire tactics will also give the BBC - accused of wrongly claiming that Downing Street "sexed up" its key dossier on the threat posed by Iraq - almost no time to prepare its case.