Reading West MP Martin Salter, who spent the summer serving as a Member of the House of Commons Reform Select Committee has today called upon the Government to bring forward an early response indicating support for all the Committee’s proposals including - direct elections of Select Committee chairs, the ability for the public to trigger debates on matters of importance on the floor of the Commons and the need for backbench MPs to wrest control of the Parliamentary agenda away from Government and Opposition whips.

The Committee published its report, “Rebuilding the House” on Tuesday 24^th November.

Mr Salter asked the Leader of the House, Harriet Harman MP at Business Questions today:-

“Can we look forward to an early and positive response to all the recommendations of the comparatively short and certainly very clear report from the House of Commons Reform Committee, on which it was my privilege to serve.

“In particular, can I urge the “Parliamentarian of the Year” to stand firm against the dark forces on both front benches who are already lobbying hard against the proposed backbench business committee which is vital if this House is to re-establish public respect and control over its own affairs.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Salter said:-

“With Westminster rocked by endless stories of expenses scandals and with our politics in something of a crisis, it is important that the House of Commons demonstrates by word and deed that it is capable of reforming itself and becoming more relevant and effective. At its best it is capable of being the cockpit of our democracy, where the battle of ideas are fought out in the public interest. At its worst it can end up being just the poodle of the party machines and open to ridicule and contempt. Our report put forward three modest and achievable reforms and there can be no excuse for further delay or prevarication by either of the two front benches.”