The justice secretary has rejected criticism from a group of peers about the hasty way the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) was created. Skip related content
It was established by Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, rushed through the last session as a reaction to public fury about MPs' expenses claims.
Expected to begin work in Spring 2010, Ipsa will create for the first time a system of independent regulation of MPs' salaries, allowances and financial interests.
The House of Lords constitution committee said that the legislation was rushed through.
"This was no way in which to legislate on matters which raise complex constitutional and legal issues," the committee said.
Because of the timescale there was a "lack of public consultation" and "limited opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny".
Justice secretary Jack Straw, in his response to the committee's report, said he does not "accept the strictures".
"This assessment does not fully take account of the imperatives of the situation we all faced," he said.
"The leaders of all three main parties required urgent action.
"Our constituents were loud in their calls for urgent action."
Straw, who is also Lord Chancellor, said the Commons committee on standards and privileges had said major changes should happen before the next general election.
"All this meant that fast-track legislation was inevitable," he claimed.
He claimed the emergency legislation to create Ipsa was the most complex he had dealt with in 12 years in government.
Straw stressed that he maintained an all-party consensus and chaired a series of all-party meetings.
"Drafts of clauses and much else were circulated, raw, to all members of this group as soon as I received them," he said.
"Discussion in the House did not always reflect positions in these meetings.
"I make no complaint about thisfar from itbut this did make handling of aspects of the bill interesting at times.
"The bill was recast in real time to take account of changing opinions on it, as colleagues on all sides considered how the new system should best operate."
Straw told the constitution committee that the fact the legislation received unopposed second and third readings in the Commons "is an indication of the consensus that was achieved".
Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, will publish his recommendations for comprehensive reform of MPs' expenses system on Wednesday.
Ipsa will make the final decisions about what new rules MPs will have to abide by, including whether or not they can employ family members.
There will also be a new Commissioner for Parliamentary Investigations to investigate breaches of the rules on allowances and interests.
Ipsa will be able to sanction MPs in response to a commissioner's report, or recommend sanctions to the House of Commons.
Last month Commons Speaker John Bercow announced he had appointed Andrew McDonald as the authority's interim chief executive.
The Parliamentary Standards Act created a new criminal offence of knowingly providing false or misleading information in a claim for an allowance.
The maximum sentence is a year in jail or an unlimited fine.
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