about the NHS," a source said.The first report, which is expected next year, will help bolster the role of CHI as an "independent and authoritative voice" of performance in the NHS.CHI's 14 commissioners will gain the right to appoint their own chief executive instead of ministers making appointments.Instead of simply reporting the findings of its inspections, the watchdog will have the power to put substandard hospitals on "special measures" and check that they make a range improvements.CHI will also be responsible for assessing whether hospitals are rated from nought to three under a new star rating system which will be published each year.. Plans to reform the House of Lords might be rewritten with an increase in the number of elected members to avoid a revolt by backbench Labour MPs. Plans to reform the House of Lords might be rewritten with an increase in the number of elected members to avoid a revolt by backbench Labour MPs. Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons, said yesterday that there was "still room for us to find a consensus on the number of elected members" and promised a full Commons debate on the issue.Labour MPs complained about the "wholly inadequate" number of elected members suggested in a White Paper on Wednesday The document proposed electing 120 of the 600 members. Most others would be picked from party lists.Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West, said: "The wholly inadequate proportion of elected members ... almost guarantees there is not a snowball's chance in hell of achieving the consensus that you seek on these benches, never mind across the House as a whole or the country at large."David Winnick, the Labour MP for Walsall North, said: "Hopefully in the consultation it will be recognised that the minimum number of elected members should certainly not be less than one-third."Eric Forth, the shadow Leader of the Commons, said the plans had been greeted with a "universal raspberry"..

Downing Street said yesterday that Tom Winsor, the rail regulator, could be sacked as it mounted a vigorous defence of Stephen Byers over his handling of the Railtrack collapse. Downing Street said yesterday that Tom Winsor, the rail regulator, could be sacked as it mounted a vigorous defence of Stephen Byers over his handling of the Railtrack collapse. The weight of the government machine swung behind the embattled Secretary of State for Transport in the face of renewed Tory demands for his dismissal. Pressure had piled on Mr Byers after the regulator implied that he had misled MPs in his version of a tense meeting between the two men.But Tony Blair's official spokesman went on the counter-attack yesterday, praising Mr Byers for putting passengers first by grappling with Railtrack's problems. And he denounced the "pretty extraordinary" media interpretation of Mr Winsor's evidence to the Transport Select Committee on Wednesday.Downing Street left a serious question mark over the likelihood of the regulator remaining in his post after the reorganisation of the rail industry.The spokesman said the Government was looking "at the whole issue of the regulatory regime" and added: "We have always acknowledged change is coming about and we're looking again at regulation." He said: "The Prime Minister believes Stephen Byers has acted entirely properly. He has taken exactly the right decision." He said the Transport Secretary had put the "interests of the taxpayer first and the interests of the travelling public first".Mr Winsor had said he had been warned by Mr Byers that emergency legislation could be introduced to strip him of his powers if he attempted to bail out Railtrack with extra cash. That appeared to fly in the face of the minister's assertion that he never threatened the regulator over his future.The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The idea of Tom Winsor being threatened is palpably nonsense."In an effort to head off any Labour backbench criticism of the minister, party whips circulated a briefing note on the background to the affair yesterday.

It stressed that the regulator had not accused Mr Byers of misleading MPs and went on to claim the Tories were playing party political games.The whips are confident that any criticism of the minister over the minutiae of meetings on Railtrack's future would be more than outweighed by the backbench welcome given to Mr Byers' action.One party source said: "It was a very popular move. Many MPs want improvements to services and stations in their area But it has not happened. They blame Railtrack and its indecisiveness for that."The Tories stepped up the pressure on Mr Byers. Theresa May, the shadow Secretary of State for Transport, said: "His [Mr Winsor's] damning evidence will have greatly embarrassed Stephen Byers, who will now be looking for a scapegoat to take the blame for his mistakes. Will the rail regulator now be asked to take the rap for revealing the truth behind Mr Byers' scandalous handling of Railtrack?"The Conservatives said they would call their second opposition debate on his conduct on Tuesday, focusing on "discrepancies" in Mr Byers' statements.Michael Howard, the shadow Chancellor, claimed Treasury ministers were aware of the Transport Secretary's threats against the rail regulator.