London, Dec 03: British Prime Minister Tony Blair will receive a copy of a judge's report into the suicide of British weapons expert David Kelly prior to its publication, an official close to the inquiry into the scientist's death has confirmed. Inquiry Secretary Lee Hughes said the contents of the report would be disclosed to all parties represented in the probe "perhaps about 24 hours" before it is published early next year.

Hughes issued a statement yesterday after reports said the government would not be given an early copy of senior Judge Brian Hutton's findings into Kelly's suicide. Kelly, 59, killed himself in July after being exposed as the source of a BBC report broadcast two months earlier that alleged Blair's office had "sexed up" intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Kelly's death and the inquiry that followed plunged Blair into the biggest crisis of his six and a half year term as Prime Minister. "The government will have no prior knowledge of the contents before the other parties," Hughes said in a statement.

"Lord Hutton intends that every person and organisation represented at the inquiry will have prior notice, perhaps about 24 hours, of the contents of his report before it is published. Bureau Report