NORTH Dorset MP Bob Walter will present a Bill to Parliament this week in a new bid to stop MPs from Scotland and Northern Ireland voting on issues that only affect England and Wales.

Mr Walter's Private Members Bill would provide an answer to the "West Lothian Question".

It would allow the Speaker of the House of Commons to decide when a particular issue only affects England and Wales, allowing it to be debated and voted on only by those MPs.

Mr Walter said: "Scotland is essentially internally self-governing but they still send 59 Members of Parliament to London.

"They can vote on laws which only affect England and Wales.

"I think that is very unfair particularly when we as English MPs have no say on healthcare or schools or roads in Scotland but they can have that say on what happens in England."

Mr Walter said that in practice it could mean dealing with England-only legislation on set days.

Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for West Lothian, raised the issue in 1977, 1978 and 1998.

The text of Mr Walter's submitted Private Members Bill is based on a bill introduced in the House of Lords in the last session by Lord Baker.

However, Mr Walter's Bill will rectify a number of problems raised with Lord Baker's Bill, which would have enabled Northern Ireland legislation at Westminster to be determined solely by the Northern Ireland MPs, contravening the spirit of the accord struck between the various parties.

The new Bill will regard England and Wales as one, until the Welsh Assembly might acquire primary legislative powers.

Mr Walter added: "My Bill will meet the call for English votes on English laws'.

"I do not believe we need to create a separate English Parliament.

"We already have 428 MPs elected from English constituencies. It is perfectly possible for them alone to consider English legislation."