IT needed saying, and there was no-one better than Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd to say it.

The House's reputation has been called into question and she is rightly concerned. She demanded that action be taken to restore Parliament's good name in the face of all the "sleaze" allegations.

Now the Commons committee investigating the cash-for-questions affair is meeting to decide if the inquiry needs beefing up with extra powers and resources. It does if it is to probe thoroughly and quickly the unsavoury allegations.

The powerful warning from Miss Boothroyd is just what was needed to steel the efforts of the Standards and Privileges committee. Within hours, an emergency meeting of the committee had agreed as a "matter of urgency" to set up the inquiry.

The committee has also wisely decided that should it be necessary to take evidence the presumption should be that such hearings would be in public.

It is right that justice must not only be done but be seen to be done.

Betty Boothroyd has asked for an early special report to the House so that the full nature and scope of any investigations may be made known. She should get exactly that.

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