Hamilton May Face Standards Committee

The former Trade Ministe,r Neil Hamilton, may still have to face a Commons committee over the "cash for questions" affair - even though he lost his Tatton seat to former BBC journalist Martin Bell at the general election.

Senior government sources have confirmed that Mr Hamilton may be called as a witness by the Standards and Privileges Committee following allegations that he received payment for asking Parliamentary questions on behalf of the Harrods boss, Mohamed Al Fayed.

Sir Gordon Downey, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has produced a report looking into allegations made against Mr Hamilton and nine other Conservative MPs, but it cannot be published until the new committee on standards has been appointed.

The committee will then look into Sir Gordon's report, interview any relevant witnesses - whether they are members of Parliament or not - and publish its findings alongside the Downey report. it is up to the committee to decide whether it conducts its proceedings in public or in private and whether its sessions are televised or not.

There could still be a further twist to the story: Martin Bell, who stood as an independent 'anti-corruption' candidate in Tatton, has expressed an interest in sitting on the standards committee: "Obviously, this was primarily the issue I was elected on" he told the Press Association. It is however, unlikely that he would be allowed to sit on a committee investigating the allegations against Mr Hamilton. Such committees are often made up of senior MPs which, as Mr Bell has admitted, he is not.

It is likely that the make up of the new House of Commons select committees will be decided next week.