THE HUTTON INQUIRY: Former Spy Chief Scarlett Will Step out of the Shadows Next Week

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JOHN SCARLETT, one of the least-known but most influential figures in the establish-ment, will be thrust into the spotlight when the Hutton Inquiry reconvenes after the Bank Holiday.

Until last year, governments had refused even to confirm the identity of the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). The practice changed when the former MI6 officer was appointed to the body that advises the Government on intelligence materialn.

That was as far as the new spirit of openness went and Mr Scarlett retreated to the shadows. But on Tuesday, as the author of the Government's September dossier that made the case for war, Mr Scarlett will undergo a forensic …