British police have been asked to question former British prime minister Baroness Thatcher as part of a US corruption investigation, according to a leaked official document.
The Whitehall document obtained by the Mirrornewspaper says the US authorities lodged a request for information about a meeting she held with US Republican Congressman Tom DeLay five years ago.
It forms part of an inquiry by the US Justice Department into allegations that congressmen received free foreign holidays in return for seeking to influence legislation.
A spokesman for Lady Thatcher confirmed that police had contacted her office in order to "clarify" details of her meeting with Mr DeLay during a visit he made to Britain in May 2000.
"Those details were clarified. That was the substance of it. It was merely factual. There was no indication at all that there was anything at all other than that," the spokesman said.
Last week Mr DeLay was forced to stand down as the Republican leader in the House of Representatives after being charged with criminal conspiracy in relation to another investigation.
According to the document, written by British officials, the request for assistance was part of a deception inquiry "involving high-profile American and UK-based individuals, including a leading congressman and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher."
The Mirrorsaid the investigation centred on the activities of a high profile US lobbyist, Jack Abramoff.
"US officials are investigating whether Abramoff was involved in obtaining legislative assistance from public officials in exchange for arranging and underwriting trips to the UK," the document said.
It added: "It is alleged that Abramoff arranged for his clients to pay for the trips to the UK on the basis that Congressman DeLay would support favourable legislation if they paid for the trip".
PA