VETERAN East Lancashire MP Peter Pike will be seeking to modernise the House of Commons by ending all night sittings and providing child care facilities for women MPs and staff.

The Burnley backbencher - 60 this month - has been selected to sit on the special Commons committee on modernising procedures.

The fast track committee expects to report initially before MPs break up for summer holidays.

A member of the Commons old procedure committee, Mr Pike said: "It is vital that we modernise the way the House of Commons works to provide a more efficient way of passing laws.

"I shall be seeking to ensure that we retain the traditional democratic rights of backbenchers.

"We need more sensible working hours. "Although I am quite happy to sit until 10pm, I don't think we should go right through the night.

"We need to timetable the committee stage of bills from the beginning so all important issues get discussed rather than a lot of debate on the early stages and none on the later ones.

"And I think it is important that we get a proper creche for children not just for women MPs but for staff

"We must remember that our decisions and when the Commons sits affects the staff as well as the MPs."

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