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| Howard quizzed in honours probe | Howard quizzed in honours probe |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Former Conservative leader Michael Howard has said he has been questioned by Scotland Yard as part of the cash-for-honours investigation. | Former Conservative leader Michael Howard has said he has been questioned by Scotland Yard as part of the cash-for-honours investigation. |
| He said he agreed to the police request for an interview and they stressed that he was "not under suspicion of having committed any offence". | He said he agreed to the police request for an interview and they stressed that he was "not under suspicion of having committed any offence". |
| About a dozen people are believed to have been questioned by police so far, with three arrests made. | About a dozen people are believed to have been questioned by police so far, with three arrests made. |
| All of those detained have denied any wrongdoing in relation to honours. | All of those detained have denied any wrongdoing in relation to honours. |
| In a statement on Monday, Mr Howard said: "In response to a request from the police, I agreed to be interviewed by them in connection with their inquiries into nominations for peerages. | In a statement on Monday, Mr Howard said: "In response to a request from the police, I agreed to be interviewed by them in connection with their inquiries into nominations for peerages. |
| "The police emphasised that they wanted to interview me as a witness and that I was not under suspicion of having committed any criminal offence. | "The police emphasised that they wanted to interview me as a witness and that I was not under suspicion of having committed any criminal offence. |
| "The interview was not conducted under caution. It took place this morning at my home in London," he said. | "The interview was not conducted under caution. It took place this morning at my home in London," he said. |
| Arrests | |
| A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "A number of people have been interviewed during the course of the inquiry." | |
| The investigation is looking into whether peerages were offered in exchange for cash, after it was revealed that all three main parties were given secret loans ahead of the last election. | |
| Those arrested were 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. | |
| The probe began after it emerged that four businessmen who gave Labour £4.5m in unpublicised loans were subsequently nominated for peerages. | |
| The scope of the inquiry was extended to cover similar allegations involving the Tories. | |
| The party borrowed £16m from 13 wealthy backers. |