Jack Straw's plans for House of Lords reform have come under attack, with attention focused on the voting mechanism to be used to decide the composition of the upper chamber.
Under plans announced by the Commons leader on Wednesday, MPs will use a preferential vote system to decide what proportions of the reformed Lords should be elected and appointed.
The system is intended to avoid the deadlock which prevented agreement when MPs last voted in 2003.
But there has been criticism of the suggestion, which must first be approved by parliament and on which Labour is imposing a three-line whip.
Conservative MP Sir Patrick Cormack said the plan "is a constitutional outrage".
And there has been further criticism from Labour backbenchers that the plan does not allow for a decision on whether bishops should remain part of the reformed Lords.
But speaking in the Commons, Straw told MPs: "I'm listening to all the voices on this happy issue."
