The government's plans to reform the Commons could see it turned into a "conveyor belt of legislation", senior Conservative Kenneth Clarke has warned.

As MPs began debating the plans to overhaul the antiquated rules of the Commons, the Rushcliffe MP criticised proposals to allow MPs to carry bills over from one session to the next.

The main constraint on passing legislation was time available in the Lords not a shortage of time in the Commons, he argued.

The modernisation committee's plans could produce a "complete conveyor belt of legislation through this House that will greatly reduce the power of the House of Lords".

The debate also heard the Conservative MP for Surrey Heath, Nick Hawkins, warn that the plans could hit attendance in the Commons.

Moves to allow MPs to table written questions electronically from their from constituencies could lead to more "absentee MPs" who are less interested in carrying out parliamentary scrutiny, he warned.

Labour's Alice Mahon also used the debate to express concern about the effects of modernisation on parliamentary staff.

She called on the Commons leader to say whether staff and unions had been consulted on plans which could see them lose earnings when MPs leave parliament earlier in the evening.

Conservative backbencher Julian Brazier said that plans to change the hours of would not increase media coverage of parliamentary affairs.

The plans to begin business mid-morning mean business would be conducted "when most of the press are away having lunch", he said.

Other MPs also expressed concern that bringing statements forward would simply mean that ministers would brief breakfast television rather than the lunchtime news bulletins about the content of their announcement.

Meanwhile, Conservative backbencher Sir Patrick Cormack spoke out against plans to install glass screens in the visitors' gallery so that the public could watch and talk about their MPs in action.

"Whatever glass menagerie cover we might put up there, they [constituents] are not going to be able to be taken into the division lobbies, they are not going to be able to be taken in the numbers they now arrive through the Members' lobby, and the normal Line of Route is going to have to be changed very considerably indeed," he said.

Speaking out in favour of the reforms, Labour's Oona King said that "if members do have responsibilities for families - even some people having a life of any description - the fact that those members do have to, at the moment, work a day between 9.00am to 11.00pm or midnight does preclude that".

She said the hours could deter women and "making our democracy more representative should be a factor that flits across colleagues' minds when they vote".

But fellow Labour MP Andrew Dismore declared his intention to vote against the government's proposals, expressing concern about the plans on summer recess dates and working hours.

"I think that the proposals have not been thought through as well as they should be, and will significantly reduce the amount of time I can spend with constituents," he said.