The government's latest proposals on reform of the House of Lords have come in for criticism from Robin Cook.

Constitutional affairs secretary Lord Falconer published his response to the latest report from parliament's joint committee on the issue on Thursday.

He recommended that a fully appointed second chamber remain in place for the "medium term" while further consultations took place.

But speaking at business questions in the Commons, Cook told MPs that this had been the least popular option when the subject was put to a series of votes earlier this year.

The former leader of the House reminded the current holder of the post, Peter Hain, that this was also the reverse of what the Labour Party had promised in its election manifesto.

"Have others in the government forgotten that in our manifesto we promised a democratic second chamber?" Cook asked.

Ministers would "deserve difficulty" in winning round support for a patronage based legislature, he added.

Hain replied that the problem was no single option had received the support of MPs.

The government was dealing with the "anomaly" of hereditary peers and was making the appointments procedure more independent, he insisted.

But having backed Cook in support of an elected chamber in the division lobbies, he reaffirmed his own view on appointed peers.

"We know what the House is against [but] we don't what we are for," he said.

"In the meantime we are stuck with the anomaly of hereditary peers who no one can defend.

"In the long term a fully appointed second chamber is in my view not a sustainable solution to the problem."

Earlier Lord Falconer had released a written statement clarifying the government's position.

He agreed with the committee that "simply to maintain the status quo is undesirable".

"If the present configuration of the House is to become a medium-term rather than a short-term settlement, then some changes will be needed," he wrote.

"It remains the government's policy, as set out in its white paper in November 2001, that the remaining hereditary peers should be removed from the House...

"[But] the government agrees with the joint committee's view that the parliamentary votes have shown that there is no consensus about introducing any elected element in the House of Lords."