Calls have been made for a police investigation in Britain into allegations that Labour peers agreed to take fees to help lobbyists secure changes to Government legislation.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne called on police to look into a report that four members of the House of Lords told undercover reporters from the Sunday Times they would be willing to work behind the scenes to secure amendments for business clients in return for fees of up to £120,000 a year.
Labour's leader in the Lords, Baroness Royall, described the allegations as "very grim" and said she would carry out her own investigation, while the upper house's Committee on Lords' Interests is expected to launch a probe in response to complaints from Lib Dem MP Norman Baker.
The four peers - Lord Truscott of St James, Lord Taylor of Blackburn, Lord Snape and Lord Moonie - deny all wrongdoing.
But the Sunday Times claims it has secretly recorded tapes of Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor boasting that they had previously secured changes to bills going through Parliament to help clients.
Mr Huhne said: "If these allegations are confirmed, they are not merely a breach of the Lords' own rules but are surely also against the law on corrupt practices. Ex-ministers should not be touting themselves like taxi drivers for hire.
"Our politics must be clean and seen to be clean in both the Commons and the Lords. The Lords now need to tighten up their own procedures, including ensuring that they have the ability to suspend and expel members.
"The police should interview those peers who have been named and investigate whether they have used any parliamentary procedures - including questions or the tabling of amendments - to further the interests of their clients."