Cook unveils plan to shorten debate in the Commons

Historic moves to grant extra powers to Commons select committees and guarantee their freedom from the party whips are being devised by MPs and the Government.

For the first time, committee membership will be controlled by an independent group of senior MPs. They will also be given a much wider role in scrutinising legislation before and after its passage through the Commons.

The steps follow the dispute earlier this year over bungled attempts by Labour whips to remove two outspoken Labour MPs as chairmen of select committees. The attempt to oust them was defeated by the biggest backbench revolt since Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997.

The moves were signalled yesterday by Robin Cook, Leader of the House, after talks with the Commons Modernisation committee. Talks are continuing on contentious proposals to pay salaries to committee chairmen. In recommendations published yesterday, Mr Cook called for a shake-up of Commons hours and procedures so that they would "better serve the democracy of Britain".

He backed an earlier start to the parliamentary day on Wednesday, switching Prime Minister's Question Time to midday, shorter debates and cutting the number of Fridays on which the Commons sits.

MPs would have to give less notice of questions, allowing them to become more topical, and ministerial statements would take place earlier in the day to give them wider broadcast and newspaper publicity.

In response to annual criticism of MPs' summer holidays, Mr Cook is proposing that the Commons rises in mid-July, returning in September before a further three-week break for party conferences.

He called for votes to be recorded electronically instead of the venerable system of ticking off MPs by hand as they file through the Commons lobbies. However, they would still be required to vote in person, rather than by the press of a button in their offices. MPs could also table parliamentary questions by e-mail.

Mr Cook said the proposed moves would mean MPs working longer hours but making more efficient use of their time.

On the eve of an expected all-night parliamentary battle between the Lords and Commons over anti-terrorism laws, he recalled the regular late hours of the 1974-79 Parliament. He said: "It's a crazy way to make law. We're not doing something trivial here. We're passing laws that our constituents have to obey. It's not unreasonable to do it when we're fully awake."

In his submission to the modernisation committee, Mr Cook said: "The length of the debate in the Chamber looks antiquated to a modern audience, which is accustomed in real life to forms of exchange that prize informality and brevity. By contrast, parliamentary debate can appear to the public as ritualised and prolix.

"The late hours, which we now think of as traditional, only became possible with the advent of gas lighting. There is no reason why the hours of Parliament should not adjust again to reflect modern society.

The Tories accused Mr Cook of timidity over his proposals for boosting the Commons role in scrutinising the Government.

Chris Lawrence-Pietroni, deputy director of the Charter 88 pressure group, said: "This is a set of sensible and welcome proposals, but they do not go to the heart of the issue about modernisation. The public wants a House that can stand up for itself and the electorate against this extraordinarily powerful government."