A HOUSE of Commons investigation into the alleged role of the Paymaster General, Mr David Willetts MP, in the "cash for questions" dispute was formally approved yesterday, writes Rachel Donnelly from London.
Without voting on the issue, MPs supported a motion by the Labour MP Mr Andrew Miller to refer to the Standards and Privileges Committee the claims that Mr Willetts, when he was a Tory whip in 1994, influenced the Members' Interests Committee which was then investigating the "cash for questions" allegations.
The allegations refer to a memo, allegedly written by Mr Willetts to the investigating committee urging them to either delay on ruling, or to "exploit the good Tory majority" and rule in favour of the Conservative MP Mr Neil Hamilton. He was under investigation for tabling questions in the Commons for the owner of Harrods, Mr Mohammed al Fayed, allegedly in return for cash and free gifts.
Mr Miller said that if indeed the alleged interference had occurred, "we cannot hope to restore any of the public confidence in the integrity of this place unless we take firm and decisive action. I would also urge that the inquiry is totally open. Members must realise the low level of esteem we are all held in by the public, partly due to the so called sleaze issue."
The emergency debate in the Commons was granted by the Speaker of the Commons, Mrs Betty Boothroyd, on Tuesday when she expressed her concern that the reputation of parliament had been called into question. The Labour Leader of the House, Ms Ann, Taylor, said she welcomed the intervention of the Standards and Privileges Committee.