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We don't work hard enough, claims MP Margaret Hodge



A senior MP has urged Parliament to extend its hours, saying it feels as if politicians 'are hardly working'.

Margaret Hodge, who chairs the public accounts committee, says MPs are spending too much time away from Westminster on recess and too little time scrutinising policy.

She said the shrinking number of days politicians spent at Westminster meant the Government was risking being seen as 'lazy' or poor value for money.

The Labour MP, who was a minister under both the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, also warned of a growing 'democratic vacuum' – adding that parliamentary sessions were so short, 'it feels as if we are hardly working'.

She said: 'We are living through the worst economic crisis in modern times. MPs have a lot to do and yet we are spending much of our time in recess.

'Members of the public would be forgiven for thinking that it is MPs who are lazy and that it is Parliament that is failing to provide good value for money.

'The committee I chair spends a lot of time scrutinising public spending and whether it is worthwhile, yet the very heart of government – Parliament – seems to be the most sluggish part of our system.

'We are not spending enough time in Westminster, and this creates a democratic vacuum.'

However, Downing Street said Parliament was sitting for more days in 2013 than previous years.

David Cameron's official spokesman told reporters: 'The shape of the parliamentary calendar is a decision for the House as a whole.

'My understanding is that for the 2013 calendar year the House will be sitting for longer than any of the previous four years and possibly longer than that.

'Under this government there have been September sittings as well.'


Her comments to the Guardian newspaper come as Parliament begins to wind down this year's session ahead of the State opening in May.

The House of Commons usually sits for about 150 days a year, but this figure appears to be falling.




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Politicians leave Westminster for half-terms, a six-week break in the summer, two fortnight breaks at Easter and Christmas and three weeks off while MPs attend party conferences.

According to figures from the Commons library, MPs sat for an average of 148 days a year between May 2010 and May 2012. But from 2006 to 2008, the Commons sat for an average of 152 days a year.




The shrinking number of days politicians spent at Westminster meant the Government was risking being seen as 'lazy' or poor value for money, said Margaret Hodge

By comparison, this year the Commons is expected to sit for fewer than 140 days.

Former Tory minister John Redwood agreed with Miss Hodge's criticisms and blamed Labour for introducing shorter working days and longer holidays in order to appear more family friendly.

He said: 'Parliament does need to do more to scrutinise government and that was true under Labour and is now true under the Coalition. We need more time.'

John Mann, a member of the Treasury select committee, added that his committee would benefit from longer sittings.

He said: 'People on these committees cannot cope with the volume of work that there is to do.'

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