The Sue Gray report today found 'failures of leadership and judgement' over Downing Street lockdown parties that 'should not have been allowed'.
A damning nine-page 'update' said 'at least some' of the gatherings were 'a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government, but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time'.
But the report was stripped of key details after the Met Police launched an investigation into a number of the lockdown gatherings, and asked Ms Gray to make only "minimal reference" to them in her report.
Admitting police were investigating all but four of the events, Ms Gray conceded: "I am extremely limited in what I can say about those events.
"It is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather."
Boris Johnson is due to make a statement to Parliament after 3.30pm.
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Ms Gray's report concluded: "The gatherings within the scope of this investigation are spread over a 20-month period – a period that has been unique in recent times in terms of the complexity and breadth of the demands on public servants and indeed the general public.
"The whole of the country rose to the challenge. Ministers, special advisers and the Civil Service, of which I am proud to be a part, were a key and dedicated part of that national effort.
"However, as I have noted, a number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did.
"There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government.
"This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded."
Ms Gray said the Downing Street garden was 'used for gatherings without clear authorisation or oversight' and 'this was not appropriate'.
Some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but felt unable to do so, the inquiry found.
And police are investigating the gathering in the Cabinet Room in No 10 on Boris Johnson’s birthday in 2020, Ms Gray’s update on her inquiry suggests.
Scotland Yard last week asked Ms Gray to make only 'minimal reference' to gatherings being investigated by its officers.
Downing Street has so far refused to commit to publishing a fuller version of Ms Gray's findings once the police investigation has concluded.
The version of Ms Gray's report published online said 'it seems there was too little thought given to what was happening across the country in considering the appropriateness of some of these gatherings, the risks they presented to public health and how they might appear to the public'.
