Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon insisted yesterday he had not been part of any strategy to publicly name David Kelly as he sought to escape the political fall-out from the scientist's death.

In his keenly awaited appearance before the Hutton Inquiry, Mr Hoon strenuously distanced himself from key decisions taken after it emerged Dr Kelly could be the source of a BBC story claiming the Government "sexed up" its dossier on Iraqi weapons.

The Defence Secretary had been widely regarded as the most likely political casualty of the affair, but his performance before the inquiry suggested he is unlikely to go without a fight.

In almost three hours of evidence, Mr Hoon said that:

* He had not been involved in the decision to interview Dr Kelly after he admitted having an unauthorised meeting with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan;

* The decision to issue a public statement disclosing that an unnamed official had been identified as the possible source of the BBC story had been taken by senior officials in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office;

* He was not consulted about instructions to Ministry of Defence press officers that they should confirm Dr Kelly's identity to journalists who came up with the right name.

Mr Hoon acknowledged that he overrode the advice of his most senior civil servant who had recommended Dr Kelly should not have to give evidence in public to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC).

But he emphasised that his decision had the full support of the Prime Minister.

The Hutton Inquiry was set up to investigate how Dr Kelly apparently came to take his own life after being identified as the likely source of the BBC story by Mr Gilligan on the Radio 4 Today programme.

Mr Hoon said he had taken the view throughout that it would be wrong to name Dr Kelly publicly unless they were sure he was the BBC source - something he only knew for certain when the BBC issued a statement after Dr Kelly's death.

"What I am resisting, certainly as far as I am concerned, is any suggestion that there was some sort of conspiracy, some sort of strategy, some sort of plan covertly to make his name known. That was not the case," he said.

At the same time, however, he said he had "very quickly" concluded that the FAC - which had already taken evidence from Mr Gilligan - would have to be informed someone had come forward in order to avoid accusations of a "cover-up".

Shadow Defence Secretary Bernard Jenkin said last night that the focus had now shifted on to Tony Blair, who gives evidence today.