Barred: Three former 'MPs for hire'

Former defence secretary Geoff Hoon, Stephen Byers and Richard Caborn should have their parliamentary passes suspended, a report by the Commons standards and privileges committee found yesterday.

The committee recommended Mr Hoon should have his pass suspended for five years after a sting by undercover reporters.

It also recommended a two-year suspension for Mr Byers - who described himself as a "taxi for hire" - for a "particularly serious breach" and six months for Mr Caborn.

But complaints against former MPs Patricia Hewitt, Adam Ingram and Sir John Butterfill, also embroiled in the sting, were dismissed.

The House authorities launched a probe last spring after the disclosures by Channel 4's Dispatches.

All the individuals involved stepped down from parliament at the general election, but retain Westminster passes as ex-MPs.

The inquiry, by the Standards Commissioner, found Mr Hoon breached the MPs' code of conduct by claiming he had, or could get access to, confidential information about the government's strategic defence review that would be of benefit to business clients.

"Mr Hoon's conduct brought the House of Commons and its members generally into disrepute," the standards and privileges committee concluded.

It also calls on Mr Hoon to apologise in writing.

Mr Hoon acknowledged in March he got it "wrong" in giving the impression he wanted to profit from his government contacts and "should have known better".

Former trade and industry secretary Mr Byers was heavily criticised after telling the undercover reporters that he was "like a cab for hire" and would ask for up to 5,000 a day to provide advisory services to companies.

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However, it found Mr Byers breached the MPs' code by claiming he had helped to amend legislation and influence government thinking on behalf of companies such as Tesco and National Express.

Mr Byers has accepted the findings and offered his "unreserved" apologies to Parliament, but said he was found not to have abused his position as an MP, nor did he lobby the government on behalf of commercial organisations.

The cross-party committee cleared ex-health secretary Patricia Hewitt of breaching the code of conduct, but found she was "unwise" to agree to meet what she thought were representatives from a lobbying firm.

The committee found the cab-for-hire remarks were "ill-judged" but did not themselves breach the code, while Mr Byers had properly registered the payments he received for doing work outside Parliament.Mr Ingram, the ex-East Kilbride MP, and Tory Sir John Butterfill were also cleared of wrongdoing, but criticised for bad judgment.

Ms Hewitt and Mr Hoon were filmed suggesting they would charge 3,000 a day for their services.

Mr Caborn, the former MP for Sheffield Central, was said to have expressed an interest in working for the fictitious company. He was recorded discussing a number of services he could offer, quoting a rate of 2,500 "plus expenses".

But those breaches were "comparatively limited", the report states, and more likely to have been by "oversight" than "intention".

Mr Caborn described the outcome as a "total vindication".

Mr Ingram, a former armed forces minister, reportedly said he could cultivate a network of former ministers and could use his contacts to help the fake company develop a relationship with serving ministers and civil servants.

Mr Ingram said he was paid 1,500 a day or 1,000 a meeting by firms.

The comments in the recordings were condemned by politicians from across the political spectrum, and the Labour Party suspended those involved.

The report adds: "They should have known better. Their behaviour raises serious questions about their judgment."

Mr Hoon has argued that he was not covered by the code of conduct because he had been discussing work he might do after stepping down as member for Ashfield.

However, the watchdog rejected this suggestion and found he had brought the House into disrepute by claiming he had "inside knowledge" of the pending Strategic Defence Review.

Commons leader Sir George Young said the Commons would decide next Wednesday whether to enforce the sanctions against the MPs.