MPs' main proposals

Reduce chamber by more than half to 350 members 60% of the chamber should be elected 40% of the chamber should be nominated Appointed members to be chosen by independent commission

The MPs' report comes as the government says it is not yet ready to say how it wants to press ahead with reform of the House of Lords.

The committee wants 60% of peers to be elected, while only a fifth would be voted in under the government's blueprint.

Consultation continues

Ministers on Tuesday published an "interim response" to the committee's proposals, in which it avoided the numbers questions.

Instead, the government says its consultation process is not yet complete.

Tony Wright says Parliament overall must be strengthened

But it recognises "a considerable difference" between its view and the MPs' ideas.

That response left the committee unimpressed, with the MPs saying there was now strong support for "a much greater role for election than that envisaged by the government".

"In the light of this widespread agreement, we see no reason for the government to delay much longer," says the committee.

It argues that failure to reform the Lords in the way it has proposed "would be a missed opportunity of historic proportions".

Downing Street says the government will give a full response to the committee's proposals before Parliament begins its summer break in July.

Government proposals

20% elected 20% independently nominated 60% nominated by political parties

Labour MP Tony Wright, who chairs the committee, said that the sense of urgency which followed the first stage of Lords reform now seemed to have gone dead.

"The government is clearly of a divided mind about this... but reform now has to be done," Dr Wright told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme.

Cabinet divisions

Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, has stressed the need to make sure the reformed Lords does not become a rival chamber to the Commons.

That view is thought to be shared by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott while Commons Leader Robin Cook is seen as the cabinet's principal adovocate of a larger elected element.

Dr Wright argued the government's obsession with the threat to the Commons' authority had meant the need to reform Parliament as a whole had been misunderstood.

Impressive reform of the Commons was now under way, said Dr Wright, so the stance towards Lords change was "extremely odd".

Cross-party call

Conservative Lords leader Lord Strathclyde said the government's response reflected the worries and doubts that existed in all parties.

That reinforced his calls for a cross-party committee of both Houses of Parliament to be tasked with trying to build a consensus, he argued.

"It is time for a cross-party approach, based around the principles of democracy and the stronger Parliament this nation needs," added Lord Strathclyde.

Lib Dem spokesman Paul Tyler urged Tony Blair to intervene and allow Robin Cook to take a lead on the issue.

"We need to start making progress fast if reform is to be achieved in this Parliament," added Mr Tyler.