Peers have questioned the benefit of the government establishing dozens of task forces since it came to power in 1997.

Opening the debate, Liberal Democrat Lord Smith of Clifton told the Lords that task forces were one of the features that characterised Tony Blair administration.

And saying that estimates of their numbers varied widely, he asked whether they and were "really an aid to government ... or simply talking shops".

Government figures showed about 44 such groups had been set up since May 1997, with more than 100 review groups.

'Confusion and inexperience'

But peers said that this "contrasted starkly" with figures from the University of Essex, which said 295 task forces and similar bodies set up during the first 18 months of the Labour government.

Labour's Lord Faulkner of Worcester, vice chairman of the Football Task Force set up after the election, told peers of its chaotic beginnings.

"We had a dreadful beginning caused by confusion and inexperience on the part of many people involved."

It was "perhaps surprising it got off the ground at all" given its money and membership problems, he said.

The fact it included some people who were "effectively delegates from the industry we were looking at" was one difficulty he said..

Meanwhile its chairman, the former Tory Cabinet minister David Mellor, had come under fire for being a "populist and irresponsible" football commentator, said Lord Faulkner.

Another was the fact that the task force had to produce four reports on a total budget of £130,000.

But Lord Faulkner said the Football Task Force had produced worthwhile reports. One recommendation that racist chanting should be made a criminal offence was already being pursued in a private member's bill.

He defended the government's decision to set up so many task forces, saying that it was like "windows were opened in this way and fresh air came in".

'Sinister'

Wnding up the debate for the Tories, Baroness Miller of Hendon said task forces were a way of "downgrading Parliament" and were not transparent or accountable.

She said: "I certainly do not denigrate the efforts of the 2,500 members of the various task forces.

"But I believe they are the unwilling accomplices in something I regard as quite sinister."

But defending the role of task forces, Cabinet Office minister Lord Falconer of Thoroton said the government had come to power with a desire to change areas of policy and it was vital that those changes were made on the basis of "sound, wide ranging advice".

"Task forces play an important part in making sure that one gets the best and most wide ranging advice," he said.

Lord Falconer said the task force system was "much clearer and more open" than that run by any previous government.