MPs want cash-for-peerages update

Appointments to the House of Lords are under scrutiny

MPs have pressed police for an update to their "cash-for-peerages" inquiry, which was due to have ended by now.

The Commons public administration committee wants John Yates, in charge of the police investigation, to give a likely publication date for the report.

Tory committee member Grant Shapps explained that the timescale "seemed to have slipped somewhat over the summer".

Scotland Yard said a preliminary report had been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service with an update on progress.

A spokesman confirmed the letter had been received and said its contents would now be considered.

Mr Shapps, the MP for Welwyn Hatfield, said he wanted "to be clear that things are on track or just understand better what's going on".

The committee launched its own inquiry into claims that honours were offered to wealthy Labour backers but it has been awaiting the police report before publishing its judgement.

'Not open-ended'

"We've had an ongoing investigation since last March which we've put on, if you like, soft pedal, in order to give the police sufficient space to investigate," Mr Shapps told the BBC News website.

"We want to get the best possible outcome, we want to get to the truth - but that timescale which was provided as an outline has been extended three times now.

"We've always said this is not an open-ended check on progress, and it's a desire to have slightly closer tags on progress than we have at the moment."

About a dozen people are believed to have been questioned by police so far.

There have been three arrests in total - Labour's chief fundraiser Lord Levy, the millionaire head of Biotech, Sir Christopher Evans, and head teacher Des Smith, who was on the council of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

All of those detained have denied any wrongdoing.