Ministers avoid questions on Kelly

BRITISH Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw yesterday side-stepped a barrage of questions over the death of Government scientist Dr David Kelly.

Despite repeated calls, both men refused to discuss the matter at a Foreign Office press briefing with members of the new Iraqi administration.

They appeared at the briefing soon after it emerged that publication of evidence given in secret by BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on the row which thrust Dr Kelly into the limelight has been postponed at the reporter’s request.