THE prospect of male Scottish MPs being able to wear kilts in the Commons chamber and female members of Indian heritage wearing saris during debates has been raised in a report.

It has also recommended allowing women MPs to breastfeed in the chamber, changing Prime Minister’s Questions from the “masculinised style”, moving to normal business hours, introducing quotas to make sure there are at least 40 per cent of female journalists working at Westminster and that unisex toilets should be installed.

The “Good Parliament” report, commissioned by the Speaker John Bercow, aims to tackle sexism in the Houses of Parliament, making it an “international showcase” for equality and inclusion.

Mr Bercow welcomed the report from Professor Sarah Childs of Bristol University, who has been seconded to parliament. “Not everyone will agree with every recommendation or suggested outcome, which is a condition of an independent report,” said the Speaker.

“But I am confident that my colleagues on the Commons Reference Group will scrutinise its contents very closely with a view to taking on board a good number of its suggestions.”

Number 16 of the 43 recommendations refers to revising the dress code to “business dress or national costume”.

It explains the issue of MP’ dress code is “vexed. This is in part because, as a custom, different Speakers have not always enforced the same standards. It is also the case that norms of dress in the chamber, as in wider society, are explicitly gendered”.

Take the issue of hats, it says. Male MPs are not permitted to address the House whilst wearing a hat whereas women are exempt from this rule.

“Some male MPs are evidently aggrieved, charging that the principle of demonstrating ‘respect’ for the House is offended by women’s ‘knee-length boots’ and ‘denim’. The underlying problem lies not with a particular concept of style or fashion but the convention itself: men are expected to wear a jacket and tie in the chamber and women to dress with the ‘equivalent level of formality.’”

Because there is no functional equivalent to the male suit and tie for women, then the report says the solution is simple: “reframe the convention in a gender-neutral way; one that removes men’s stricter dress code”.

It goes on: “Today, ‘business dress’ does not always require of men a jacket and tie. Adding ‘national costume’ would furthermore reflect the UK’s multicultural traditions and recognise that Members may wish to wear something other than Western dress.

“Individual MPs would hereafter become the arbiter of their own dress, no doubt assisted by the national and local media. The Speaker and deputies could retain their role in deciding whether this was ultimately of an acceptable standard,” says the report.

Meantime, the report suggests the expected “decant” of MPs from the Palace of Westminster so that it can be fully renovated gives parliament an opportunity to test alternative or additional formats to PMQs and “scrutiny by screech”.

It adds: “Backbenchers drawn by lot could hold a more deliberative committee session with the PM; more radically still, public questions could be gathered via YouTube, or the PM might be questioned by the public on internet TV.

“The substantive point being made here is that different ways of holding the Prime Minister to account can - and should - be tried during decant.”

A new Commons Reference Group will now consider the report and decide whether or not to implement any of the recommendations.