The government has confirmed that the Gambling Bill will be given fast-track treatment in a bid to get it on the statute book before the general election.

Leader of the Commons Peter Hain told MPs on Thursday that the legislation will be introduced ahead of the Queen's Speech in order for more time to be available for debate.

The move contravenes convention but can be made because the bill has already received pre-legislative scrutiny.

The School Transport Bill has been brought forward in similar form and, if time allows, the Disability Discrimination Bill will also be debated in the next four weeks.

Parliament is set to be prorogued in the week ahead of the Queen officially opening the new session on November 23, with several bills from this session still outstanding.

But most of the time needed for these is in the House of Lords, with the Commons often left with little to do at this time year.

Hain is hoping that by using the period to start work on new bills he can get more legislation into law ahead of the next session, which is set to be heavily truncated because of the election expected in May or June.

The move may anger traditionalists who like to see the Queen announce the legislative programme in her annual address.

However, because the bills have already been discussed in draft form they are not technically new and can get around this tradition.

They will also make use of the reform introduced in this parliament whereby bills can be carried over from one session into the next.

Hain told MPs that the Gambling Bill is a crucial piece of reform which will introduce strict new controls on currently unlicensed betting.

"It is very important that gambling is regulated properly and this bill will do that," he said.

But critics fear the legislation will also for allow for an explosion of American-style casinos in Britain and a growth in problem gambling.