Gavyn Davies has ruled out any major reforms

The BBC and Downing Street are waiting for Lord Hutton to deliver his inquiry's verdict on the death of government scientist Dr David Kelly.

The two clashed after BBC Radio 4's Today reported the government "sexed up" a dossier on the threat from Iraq.

Mr Davies told the Financial Times: "I am not planning another set of major reforms. It's premature to do that."

The BBC's board of governors was restructured two years ago.

Labour MP Chris Bryant criticised Mr Davies for taking a "pre-emptive strike approach".

"It is a mistake in timing and it's a mistake in judgment," he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

The chairman and his governors were criticised following their defence of the BBC after Dr Kelly's death.

'Legitimate'

The broadcaster admitted Dr Kelly was the source behind the story after he was found dead in July.

Mr Davies said: "We believe our story was a legitimate story for the BBC to broadcast.

"We believe that in protesting about parts of the story, the Number 10 press office attacked the whole integrity of people in this organisation. I belive that was an aberration."

But he said relations between the corporation and Downing Street were "on the road to normalisation" following several private discussions with Tony Blair.

'Conflict'

While Mr Davies disagrees with critics who say the BBC governors should give up their role as the corporation's regulators, he told the Financial Times they needed "a more public profile".

He added: "We have a conflict between wishing to show to the public we are doing a job separate from the management, while not wishing to bring opprobrium on the BBC by being needlessly critical, because I know how that can be misconstrued in the press."

Mr Bryant said BBC governors had to be completely independent from the board of management.

"In the end they are there to stand up for the ordinary licence fee payer," he said.

"My suspicion is over the last few years they have become ever more closely tied to the managers of the BBC."

Other changes

Other changes have been made at the BBC in advance of the report's publication.

A BBC spokesman said: "Following the evidence which was given to the inquiry by the chairman and director general, the BBC has already taken several steps to reform its procedures, and has appointed a new deputy director general to take charge of editorial compliance and complaints."

Mark Byford has been made deputy director general to oversee an improved complaints procedure.