Proposals to reform the working hours of the House of Commons in 2003 have now been passed. This has brought into focus the workload MPs face. Reporter JACK LEFLEY shadowed south east London MP and Fire Service Minister Nick Raynsford for a day in Westminster to find out more ...

THE hours which MPs sit in the House of Commons will change significantly in the New Year.

Reforms, proposed by the modernisation select committee, and passed by a majority of MPs, will signal an end to regular late night debates.

Nick Raynsford has been an MP since 1986 and has experienced life as a backbencher and minister he currently works in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Raynsford said: "I am a bit of a special case as a minister but under the new regime I will just be working on some things at home on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Monday will be the only night there can be really late night votes."

On Tuesday, November 5, Mr Raynsford rose at 6.45am and within an hour was taking phone calls about the proposed firefighters' strike.

At 10am he began preparing to face the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister select committee, where he would take questions on his department's annual report.

The questions began at 11am, in a Westminster committee room, and Mr Raynsford was quizzed on matters, ranging from the fire service to local authority grants, for an hour and 45 minutes.

Between lunch and 6pm the minister rushed between a meeting about the fire service with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, a chat with other ministers from Prescott's office and, finally, attended a conference with local authorities.

Sir George Bain, who is conducting the review of firefighters' pay and conditions, met with Mr Raynsford at 6pm and, from 7.15pm onwards, the minister dealt with constituency work.

At 9pm Mr Raynsford received his ministerial red box, containing Government business for his attention, which he worked on between votes.

Mr Raynsford and all Labour MPs, had to be available for compulsory voting, until 11pm, because of a running three-line whip. He finally got to bed at about 1am.

Mr Raynsford said: "I am sympathetic to the reforms, they are right for the majority of MPs and Parliament should not be sitting late into the night.

"Before I was a minister, when I was elected as MP for Fulham in 1986, there was all-night sitting until 9am the next day when you just carried on as normal. That is not good for efficient government.

"It is a hard but rewarding job and no two days are alike. You have scope for making a difference to people's lives."

The changes did face opposition in the House of Commons and this came mainly but, not exclusively, from Conservative MPs.

Michael Fallon, Conservative MP for Sevenoaks, said: "It is a mistake to reduce the week and give people the impression we will only be working a three day week.

"There is a case to open Parliament in September but the reforms mean most MPs will go back to their constituencies on the Thursday morning. The reforms benefit the Government because it denies the opposition the opportunity to delay bills late at night. I voted against it."