MILLIONAIRE donors whose peerages have been blocked have been told by Labour party chiefs that they are still in line for honours.

The Times has learnt that Tony Blair may put the nominees on his resignation honours list.

Police have interviewed under caution the four businessmen whose nominations were blocked last year. Sir David Garrard, who lent Labour £2.3 million; Chai Patel, the founder of the Priory Clinic, £1.5 million; Barry Townsley, a stockbroker, £1 million; and Sir Gulam Noon, the curry magnate, £250,000, are believed to have co-operated fully with their inquiries. All have publicly denied any wrongdoing.

Three have been telephoned by 10 Downing Street since the peerages row broke to be offered the Prime Minister’s support. Mr Blair made some of the calls himself. No 10 has contacted Sir David and Mr Townsley to indicate that they will be put up for peerages again if they still want them. Sir Gulam has also had a supportive call from No 10, it is understood.

No 10 has declined to say whether the resignation list has to be vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. The body was set up in 2000 by the Prime Minister to end controversy over appointments to the Upper House.

The resignation list, which will be published when Mr Blair stands down before the next election, will be the first since the commission was set up.

A spokeswoman for the commission told The Times: “We are currently seeking clarification from Downing Street about whether the resignation list will be covered.” The commission contacted No 10 ten days ago but has yet to receive a response.

The commission later said that it would be able to vet any working peers put forward in the resignation honours list but was still not clear whether it could block knighthoods, CBEs and other honours.

Tony Wright, the chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee, which has delayed its own inquiry into the cash-for-peerages allegations, said: “If any of the blocked nominees are put forward again it will be a matter for the honours appointments commission.

“Traditionally the Prime Minister’s resignation list is exempt because it is seen as their way of saying thank you to people who have been supportive in many ways. It is important we find out what the position is regarding whether the resignation list can be vetted by the appointments commission.”

When Lord Stevenson of Coddenham, the commission chairman, was publicly cross-examined by Dr Wright’s committee, he did not know whether his group had any power to eject names from the Prime Minister’s farewell list.

Sir David, a retired property developer, is particularly close to the Prime Minister. He has given £2.5 million to Mr Blair’s flagship city academies project and has pledged further financial support. Mr Blair’s praise of Sir David and his wife, Maureen, when he opened the Bexley Academy is included on the No 10 website.

It is understood that Sir David was questioned under caution for up to an hour by two detectives as part of the current Scotland Yard inquiry. Dr Patel was questioned and was said to have been “fully co-operative”. Sir Gulam, who lent Labour £250,000 in the run-up to the election, was questioned under caution at his solicitor’s office for 45 minutes.

All the donors are believed to have been informed that their testimony could be used as evidence in the criminal inquiry. The investigation is expected to arrange interviews this week with Labour officials including Matt Carter, the former general secretary, and Lord Levy, Mr Blair’s personal fundraiser.

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