Yesterday, John Baron MP had a chance to ask an oral question at Foreign Office questions:

In answer to my written questions, the Foreign Secretary has again refused either to publish the draft dossier, written by John Williams, a press officer in her Department, on 9 September 2002, or to explain why those papers were not made available to the Hutton inquiry. The reason cited for the refusal is national security, but how can the Minister justify that cloak of secrecy when the paper was a draft document intended for publication, and when previous and subsequent drafts have been made available? Or is the real reason because the Williams draft was the first to mention the 45-minute claim and was the basis for John Scarlett’s draft the following day?

Minister Kim Howells once again declined to deny that the 45 minutes claim is in the Williams draft but answered:

Lord Hutton had access to all documents he wished to see. Both John Scarlett and John Williams referred to the draft dossier in their evidence sessions. There is, therefore, no question of its existence being hidden from the inquiry.

Unfortunately for Howells, Williams did not mention the draft during his Hutton evidence.

Howells has not only misled Parliament. When he is forced to apologise, he will draw attention to the cover-up.