THE call from Burnley MP Peter Pike for members to get Fridays off from Westminster to spend more time in their constituencies has raised a few eyebrows. It has split East Lancashire MPs worried that voters might think they are skiving and caused at least one trade union leader to be envious of Parliamentarians' ability to set their own hours and conditions of work. Parliamentary Correspondent BILL JACOBS reports. . .

AT a time when disillusion about politicians is growing among sections of the electorate, some of Peter Pike's colleagues believe that suggesting MPs should no longer turn up to the House of Commons on Fridays sends out all the wrong messages.

But his demand that consideration of Private Members Bills should be moved from Fridays to Tuesday evenings has also re-opened the whole issue of the new hours at Westminster.

The change in hours introduced after the 2001 General Election means MPs no longer have to sit well into the night on a regular basis.

But Rail, Maritime and Transport Union General Secretary Bob Crow is just baffled that MPs can decide their own hours of work -- unlike his members.

But Mr Pike, whose call for change has been backed by 57 colleagues, is unrepentant.

He thinks the new hours work and just wants to make them better.

For more than 100 years the House of Commons started proceedings with an hour of questions at 2.30pm followed by ministerial statements and then debates.

The official finishing time for main business was 10pm followed by a half hour "adjournment" debate, where individual MPs could raise constituency or other personal issues and require a minister to respond.

But frequently debates stretched far into the night and early morning.

Since the 2001 election the hours have been changed so that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays business starts at 11.30 and finishes at 7.30pm and on Thursdays finishes at 6.30pm.

While many Fridays are "non-sitting Fridays," some are still used to debate Private Members Bills.

Mr Pike said: "I think the new hours are working and don't want to change them wholesale.

"But I would like to see Private Members business move to Tuesday night so that I and other MPs can get back to our constituencies while companies and schools are all working.

"If I go back in the middle of the week it is four or five hours either way wasted when I can't work.

"On a Tuesday and Wednesday night I normally stay in the Commons until 10 or 11pm anyway dealing with constituency correspondence."

His belief that more MPs would attend Private Members business if it was handled late evening in the middle of the week is backed by Hyndburn Labour colleague Greg Pope.

But he sees a possible half-way house.

He said: "I am unhappy about the new hours and want them reviewed.

"I would like to see a compromise where we return to the old hours on Tuesdays and deal with Private Members Bills after 7.30pm on Wednesdays.

"There is merit in Peter's proposal as it would help us to do constituency business on a Friday.

"It would also mean more MPs would take part in debating them. Now we have the unfortunate choice of either cancelling constituency engagements to be at Westminster or going back to our seats and not taking part in important debates on legislation."

But Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson is derisive of both the new hours and Mr Pike's proposal.

She said: "I think the new hours are a disaster. We should go back to the old hours.

"It might seem like sensible modernisation but its actually proved to be a mistake.

"As a former minister I can say it is more difficult for them to do their government work before appearing in the house and its more difficult for back-bench MPs to arrange a meeting with ministers and their constituents.

"It is harder for us to arrange tours of the Houses of Parliament for constituents which are very popular and we also lose the opportunity to tackle ministers during the evening in the Commons except on a Monday.

"When we were elected as MPs we all knew the hours and if we have to be at Westminster on a Friday to debate legislation we have to be there. We've got weekends and recesses to go to our constituencies."

Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans agrees with her: "The new hours are a dog's dinner. We should go back to the old ones.

"It is much more difficult to do our constituency business, meet ministers or lobby them in person.

"We are sent to Westminster to represent our constituents in the House of Commons and to legislate on their behalf.

"They expect us to do it. Changing the hours was a mistake and to move Private Members' business from Fridays would send out all the wrong signals. Voters already think MPs have a cushy life and don't do their job they are elected to. Peter's idea would confirm that."

Mr Crow is simply baffled. He said: "Well it's a nice thing for MPs to do. My members would love the flexibility to be able to change their working hours and conditions. But they don't get it and they earn a lot less than £53,000 a year."