charges UK Prime Minister John Major ignored sleaze in his Tory Party.

But yesterday Lord Waddington sought to distance himself from the pre-UK election controversy.

It is alleged Mr. Major allowed Tim Smith to continue as junior Northern Ireland minister in 1994 after he was told the MP took money to ask questions for businessmen in Parliament.

Mr. Major has dismissed the "cash-for-questions'' claims in The Guardian newspaper.

He said he had ordered a probe as soon as he had heard of the allegations and Mr. Smith quit once the inquiry finished.

Lord Waddington's name has been drawn into the row over a reported conversation he had with Mr. Smith in 1989 over declarations of interest.

At the time, Lord Waddington was the UK Government's Chief Whip under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Government House was yesterday inundated with inquiries from British journalists wanting to know what Lord Waddington told Mr. Smith.

In a statement released to The Royal Gazette Lord Waddington said yesterday: "I have been asked whether back in 1989 I had a particular meeting with a particular member of Parliament.

"I have no specific recollection of a meeting with Mr. Smith and after all this time I have no records to refer to.

"But I can say positively that if he had come to me and said that he had not declared a certain interest, namely his employment as a consultant or advisor, I would have told him to get on and declare it.'' He added: "It was years later, five years after I had ceased to be Chief Whip, and two years after I had finally left the Government, that Mr. Smith was made a Minister.'' Deputy Governor Peter Willis said Lord Waddington seemed to play a "very peripheral role'' -- at best -- in a media-whipped brouhaha before the May 1 election.

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine said: "When Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister and Lord Waddington was Chief Whip Mr. Smith went to Mr. Waddington and said he had not declared certain interests. He was advised to declare them and went ahead.'' Governor caught up in UK row From Page 1 It is believed British papers -- tabloids and heavyweight broadsheets -- will carry follow-ups to the story today. And it is likely a Lord Waddington link will be made.

Yesterday UK tabloid, The Daily Mail , was in touch with The Royal Gazette in its pursuit for comments from Lord Waddington.

The Guardian's allegations centre on the fact Mr. Smith was appointed a minister in January 1994.

This, the paper said, was despite the fact Mr. Smith told Mr. Major's parliamentary business manager four years earlier he had been paid by Mohammed Al Fayed, the owner of London's upmarket store, Harrods, to ask questions on his behalf in parliament.

Mr. Major was told of the allegations in September 1994, The Guardian said.

But Mr. Smith only quit his post on October 20 saying he had been foolish and mistaken not to register the payments. He denied firmly taking the money had been wrong or corrupt.

The Guardian published what it said were transcripts of testimony by Mr. Smith and other lawmakers before Sir Gordon Downey, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

According to press wire reports, Opposition parties have accused Mr. Major's Government of shutting down Parliament early in order to block publication of Downey's investigation of 25 lawmakers. Mr. Major angrily denied those accusations.

Mr. Smith resigned after informing Sir Robin Butler, the Cabinet secretary, in September 1994 that he had accepted money from Al Fayed.

"As soon as the allegations were reported to the prime minister about Mr.

Smith at the end of September 1994, he asked the Cabinet secretary to investigate.

"He did and reported back to the Prime Minister on October 17. He asked him to make some further urgent inquiries and in the light of this, concluded the next day that Mr. Smith must resign,'' Major's office told journalists.

According to the transcript published by The Guardian , Mr. Smith said his relationship with Mr. Al Fayed began in 1987, when Mr. Al Fayed was battling Lonrho for control of Harrods.

At the first meeting, Mr. Smith said Mr. Al Fayed gave him the equivalent in English pounds of about US$8,000 in cash.

Lawmakers are permitted to take outside jobs as "consultants'' to businesses, but Mr. Smith did not register his relationship with Al Fayed until 1989, after the relationship was terminated.

Asked if he had any record that would confirm the end of the relationship, Mr.

Smith said he had nothing other than a note which appeared for 14 days in the register of members' interests .

"All I have is that, and the fact that I went to see the Government Chief Whip and the fact that I informed the chairman of my Conservative Association of what had been going on at that time,'' Mr. Smith is quoted as saying. A Conservative Association is the party organisation in a constituency.

Yesterday Parliamentary correspondent for The Guardian , David Hencke, told The Royal Gazette the Waddington line was "interesting'' -- but would not form a main part of the paper's follow-ups.

"It seems rather strange Lord Waddington does not remember a conversation he had with Tim Smith.''