Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes has joined calls for a inquiry into whether Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt breached theministerial code of conduct.
The senior figure said he could not understand why Prime Minister David Cameron had ruled out referring the controversy over the actions of Mr Hunt's special adviser to a regulator.
Labour claims email contacts between Mr Hunt's special adviser and a News Corp lobbyist about the media group's proposed takeover of BSkyB were in contravention of three parts of the code.
The adviser, Adam Smith, resigned on Wednesday but Number 10 insists Mr Hunt will answer for his role to the Leveson Inquiry into media standards, which exposed the explosive messages.
It points to a statement from Lord Leveson, asked about the pressure for separate investigations, that "the better course is to allow this inquiry to proceed".
Mr Hunt has asked that his appearance be brought forward.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has backed the No 10 stance but Mr Hughes questioned why there should not also be an probe by Sir Alex Allen, the independent adviser on the ministerial code.
"What I cannot understand is why the matter of the ministerial code of conduct, which is to do with do you take responsibility for your special adviser, is not something the Prime Minister should immediately refer to the person who has been given the job of doing that, Sir Alex Alan," he told BBC One's Question Time.
A spokesman for Mr Clegg said: "Jeremy Hunt has made his statement to Parliament and will provide more information to the Leveson Inquiry. That process should be allowed to happen."
©Press Association
©Press Association
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