EAST Lancashire MPs Nigel Evans and Peter Pike are split over plans to drag House of Commons working hours and procedures from the 19th to the 21st century.

Burnley's Labour MP Pike believes it will make Parliament more efficient but Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans says it is all about making the government's life easier.

Commons Leader Robin Cook wants to start the parliamentary day on Tuesday and Wednesday at 11.30am, three hours earlier than the current time, and end business at 7pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Prime Minister's questions would then move from 3pm to noon on Wednesdays.

Sittings on Thursdays would run from 11.30am to 6pm but Monday sittings would keep the current hours of 2.30pm to 10pm so MPs could travel to Westminster from their constituencies.

In addition Mr Cook wants to bring MPs back in early September before the party conferences, not in mid-October, after they finish.

And he wants more bills published in draft, the government able to carry bills over from one parliamentary year to the next, and to allow MPs to table questions to ministers just three days before they appear in the Commons to answer instead of a fortnight.

Mr Pike, a member of the Common Modernisation Committee which drew up the plans, will be speaking and voting in favour of them tonight: "Carrying over Bills will enable better scrutiny as will publishing draft bills for MPs to debate. When MPs get used to the new hours, things will work better.''

But Mr Evans, a member of the Tory Shadow Cabinet, said: "This is not about making Parliament more efficient, it's about making life easier for the executive.'