Hague pledges question time reform

Currently, prime minister's questions takes place weekly

The Conservatives have pledged to restore a twice weekly prime minister's question time if they win the next election.

Tory leader William Hague made the commitment as his party published a report on what they said was the decline of Parliament.

Prime Minister Tony Blair replaced the original two 15-minute question sessions held on Tuesday and Thursday with a single half hour session on Wednesdays shortly after coming to power in 1997.

A confident government need have no fear of parliamentary reform

Lord Norton

Mr Hague said this showed the prime minister's "total disdain for the House of Commons and proper democratic accountability".

The Tory leader continued saying: "I want to see the prime minister of the day held properly accountable to the representatives of the British people."

Mr Hague has often been seen by political commentators as an effective performer during prime minister's questions, especially in recent weeks.

Turning to other measures that the Tories say would give Parliament greater strength, Mr Hague said more independence should be given to the select committees, which keep a check on the actions of government departments.

Promising an end to the system whereby the posts on the committees are doled out by party whips, Mr Hague said: "It must be wrong that the government, through the whips office, chooses the people who are supposed to hold the very same government to account."

Holding government to account

Mr Hague was speaking at the Westminster launch of the report, Strengthening Parliament, by constitutional expert and Tory peer Lord Norton of Louth.

Mr Hague said the report that "Parliament is no longer able properly to hold the Executive to account, that legislation does not receive the quality of scrutiny necessary for good governance, and that the House of Commons has become less and less the focus of national political debate."

Effective democracy

Mr Hague also pledged to make the report, which includes 90 recommendations, the basis for any future Conservative government's attempts to reform Parliament.

Announcing the publication of the report, Lord Norton said the parliamentary year should be strictly timetabled and that limits should be set on the number of cabinet and other ministers.

He said: "Our proposals will enable Parliament to call government to account.

"Good government needs an effective Parliament."

He added: "A confident government need have no fear of parliamentary reform."