....comes from the former Europe minister and MP for Leicester East, Keith Vaz.

In a statement following a recommendation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that he be suspended from the House of Commons for a month, he states:

"I am very pleased that the report of the Committee on Standards and Privileges clears me of all the main allegations made against me.

"I note that the committee states that with respect to the remaining minor issues, under normal circumstances an apology to the House would be an appropriate resolution of the matter. The report, however, refers to two other matters that arose during the course of the inquiry.

"One relates to a telephone call to my mother who was very ill at the time. The key issue is whether this call took place.

"At the time this report was completed the police had indicated they would not be investigating this matter because of my mother's ill health. I can now confirm that, as of late January, the police will be investigating this matter and I believe we should suspend judgment until that investigation is complete.

"Mrs Filkin's memorandum has, therefore, been published before the full facts are known. With respect to suggestions that I have not co-operated with this inquiry, I can only say I believe I have co-operated in every way possible but I do not believe that Mrs Filkin has followed her own procedures.

"I believe my suspension from the House of Commons is disproportionate, but I do not blame the Standards and Privileges Committee for this. They can only make their decision based on Mrs Filkin's memorandum."