PROPOSALS by a former Conservative minister to prevent Scottish MPs, such as Gordon Brown, voting on English matters were said to be “interesting” by the Tories last night.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Scottish secretary, has put forward a plan which he claims would solve the long-running saga over the “West Lothian question”.

However, suggestions that David Cameron, the Tory leader, had already decided to back the plan were denied last night by senior party sources.

Rifkind has written a paper and submitted it to Kenneth Clarke, the chairman of the party’s democracy task force. But the committee has yet to decide whether to adopt the recommendation in its final report.

Rifkind is keen, however, and floated the idea in a newspaper last night: “Since devolution there has been a growing English consciousness and that has given credence to the unfinished business of devolution.

“The issue is not an English parliament. It is how you reform the way in which the House of Commons operates so that on purely English business, as opposed to United Kingdom business, the wishes of English members cannot be denied.”

Under Rifkind’s plan, a special English “grand” committee would decide on which matters MPs who represent Scottish constituencies would be barred from voting on. The Commons Speaker would have an overview.

David Cairns, the Scotland Office minister, warned of the consequences: “This proposal is utterly unworkable. Taken to its logical extent it would create multiple categories of MPs. Where does it end? Do the Tories think only London MPs should vote on Crossrail; only countryside MPs vote on foxhunting; only coastal MPs vote on fishing? It is utterly impracticable.

“Take the English smoking ban. This was proposed in clauses in a bill which applied to the whole of the UK. Would the Tories seriously take those clauses out into the grand committee for consideration?”

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