PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has revealed a dark secret to the House of Commons -- he is a "Trekky."

Some at Westminster believe that being a fan of "Star Trek" may explain his Mr Spock-like demeanour.

The Labour back bencher was attacking government plans to reform the House of Lords and said that the Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine was "living on another planet when he presented his preferred option."

But later Mr Prentice revealed that he was spending time in outer space when he managed to get thoroughly confused with what he was saying.

Mr Prentice said: "I've got it all seriously wrong. Clearly I am speaking of what I want to happen.

"This is the kind of Vulcan mind meld.

"I do not know whether we are all Trekkies, but some of us are."

RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has rubbished reports that MPs are drinking more heavily than ever before.

He pointed out that claims that consumption of beer in the Houses of Parliament had doubled were based on a report from the Federation Brewery in Newcastle.

He said that the truth was that "The Fed" were now supplying more bars than before and were the source of a number of beers, such as Stella Artois, previously supplied by other breweries.

Mr Evans said: "All the evidence I have seen is that MPs are drinking less.

"My teetotal colleague Teddy Taylor claims the bars are packed full of MPs who can't walk in a straight line -- but for obvious reasons he never goes in them. So how can he know?

"The most interesting statistic is that sales of of alcohol-free lager Kaliber have increased by 600 per cent."

When I asked him if he had switched from wine to Kaliber, Mr Evans replied: "No, I think it tastes like liquid cardboard."