A NORTH-East peer is among two facing the prospect of lengthy suspensions from the House of Lords following investigations by undercover reporters.

The Committee for Privileges and Conduct has recommended that Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate should be suspended for six months following allegations in the Sunday Times that he had sought payment for providing access to Parliament and parliamentary facilities.

The committee has recommended that Lord Laird, who was investigated by the Sunday Times and the BBC Panorama programme should face a four-month suspension after he was found to have offered to help undercover reporters to set up an all-party parliamentary group in return for payment.

Two other peers who were investigated by the Sunday Times - former Labour ministers Lord Cunningham of Felling and Lord O'Neill of Clackmannan - were cleared of any breach of the Lords Code of Conduct.

Lord Mackenzie, a Labour peer and a former president of the Police Superintendents Association - who was recorded by reporters posing as representatives of a fake South Korean solar energy company - was found to have committed four breaches of the code.

The committee found he had used a lunch to try to increase business for a commercial organisation in which he had a financial stake and in doing so had breached the requirement for members of the Lords always to act on their personal honour.

He was also found to have demonstrated a clear willingness to negotiate an agreement which would involve providing parliamentary services in return for payment or other reward and to have agreed to set up an all-party group on behalf of a paying client.

Lord Laird, a former Ulster Unionist, was also found to have breached the code by demonstrating a clear willingness to negotiate paid deals to set up an all-party parliamentary group and to provide parliamentary services in return for payment or reward.