PHASE one of the Hutton Inquiry is over. It is time to assess the damage to the Government so far - and to consider who needs to be called back for further questioning.

That the Government has been damaged is beyond doubt. The Prime Minister played his hand well, accepting responsibility without the blame, but his Defence Secretary emerged with little credit.

Geoff Hoon has to be top of Lord Hutton's list for a comeback, particularly after the final day of the initial hearing was told that he had been present at a key meeting when a plan to release Dr David Kelly's name was discussed.

Lord Hutton does not need to be told the question which Mr Hoon must be asked: why did he make no mention of that meeting in his original buck-passing evidence?

Politics already had a poor public image. It has an even worse one now. Rightly or wrongly, the perception on the streets is that the Government was economical with the truth over its justification for war.

Wednesday's claim by intelligence scientists that the Government's dossier was "over-egged" - another way of saying it had been "sexed-up" - has served to further erode public trust.

Why did the Joint Intelligence Committee not meet to consider a final draft of the dossier in the light of the "over-egging" concerns of those advisors? JIC chairman John Scarlett should be hauled back to explain that one.

Of course, we should not overlook the fact that the public image of the BBC has not fared well either. Its journalist Andrew Gilligan must certainly be recalled, particularly over his links with opposition MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee which was investigating the "sexed-up" dossier allegations.

While Lord Hutton was retiring to consider phase two, Tony Blair was being asked by journalists at his monthly briefing if Alastair Campbell's resignation and subsequent changes at Downing Street would mean the end of spin.

"I hope we would all agree," said Mr Blair, "in a world of 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week media, government has to have a communications operation."

With respect, that isn't the point. Communicating with the media - and therefore the public - is part of modern government.

But it has to be honest communication. That is the point.