An amendment to the Local Government Bill will require councils to open up all meetings of two or more members during which key decisions are made.
Media representatives and freedom of information campaigners welcomed the move, but warned against councils simply delegating decisions to individual cabinet members.
As originally drafted, the bill gave no automatic right of access to cabinet meetings, which will take important decisions on subjects including schools, care homes, social services and local transport previously taken by open meetings of cross-party committees.
Mandelson backs PR referendum
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson has said the government should leave the door open on introducing proportional representation for Westminster elections.
In a speech to electoral reformers in central London, he said: "The argument I make is for not closing the door on change because, I think, to stifle or pre-empt a debate on electoral reform would not be right for the Labour Party or for Britain."
He told the Make Votes Count group: "People should have the right to decide for themselves."
The debate goes to the heart of Labour's continued relationship with the Liberal Democrats who would be forced to abandon any links with the government if Labour turned its back on electoral reform.
Hereditary peer stands for election
The Earl of Bradford has become the first hereditary peer to be chosen as a prospective parliamentary candidate since the government ejected peers with inherited titles from the House of Lords last November.
The 52-year-old former Conservative will stand for the UK Independence Party in the general election at Stafford, a seat currently held by Labour.
"I am fed up with the total hypocrisy of the Tory slogan of 'being in Europe and not being run by Europe'," he said.
Civil servants 'told to spin news'
The government is facing fresh accusations of "politicising" the civil service after a memo inspired by the prime minister's official spokesman, Alastair Campbell, was leaked to the Guardian newspaper.
The memo requested departmental officials to produce at least two "substantial news stories" every week for two months "highlighting the government's core messages."
The stories were apparently intended to be released during the Parliamentary recess, in August and September, to try to ensure that the government's programme dominates the news agenda during a traditionally quiet period.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "This is part of routine planning. It goes on every year, under this government and the previous government,"
'Raise pension age'
Retirement ages will have to be raised unless future governments either raise taxes or allow the elderly to slide further into poverty, an independent expert is warning.
While the change in the age of entitlement to state pensions may not have to be introduced for decades, decisions must be taken soon as they will take 20 to 30 years to be implemented, said Tom Ross, chairman of the Pension Provision Group.
On current projections, by 2050 the value of the basic state pension will be some £44 a week below the government's minimum income guarantee (MIG) level for pensioners, he said.
Mr Ross told the Social Security Committee: "It would be better to pay more adequate state pension rates from a higher age than inadequate ones from a lower age."
'Toxic chemical' ban plea
MPs are pressuring the government to act on growing evidence that organophosphates (OPs) pose a serious threat to human health.
In a debate, they highlighted reports that even low-level exposure to OPs can damage the brain, nerves and muscles, affecting memory, learning ability and even male virility.
Farmers have suffered from OPs used in agriculture and air passengers have been affected by their use in aircraft engine lubricant.
Liberal Democrat Paul Tyler accused authorities of showing "the most extraordinary complacency" and warned that without a ban, ministers were exposing themselves to compensation claims.
PM goes off-line
Just five months after the revamped Downing Street website was launched amid much fanfare, Tony Blair appears to have given up on his weekly prime ministerial internet broadcasts to the nation.
When the £55,000 relaunch of the site took place in February, a Downing Street spokesman said it was "a new opportunity in a new media that the government wants to make the most of".
Mr Blair's webcasts were to take place each Friday when Parliament was sitting but after Easter, a three-week gap intervened - and Mr Blair has now missed four webcasts.
A Downing Street spokesman told BBC News Online the prime minister's webcasts had tailed off due to "diary commitments and not being able to fit them in".