Brown's constitutional reforms will hand more power to MPs and Parliament

In his first Commons statement as Prime Minister, Mr Brown announced that he intended to hand executive powers to Parliament in 12 areas - including making war and dissolving Parliament

The Prime Minister told the Commons he wanted a new "constitutional settlement" that would ensure government was a "better servant of the people".

He said he was proposing changes that would transfer powers from the Prime Minister and the Executive in 12 "important" areas.

He is also expected to bring in a new, stronger ministerial code of practice and allow MPs to decide whether it has been breached - a power that Mr Blair kept to himself.

The Cabinet's weekly meeting is moving from Thursdays to Tuesdays - because Gordon Brown wants ministers to have longer discussions

His plans would involve surrendering or limiting the Executive's powers to declare war, request the dissolution of Parliament, recall Parliament, ratify international treaties and make key public appointments.

Mr Brown said his proposals were not a "final blueprint" but a route map towards it subject to consultation with all political parties and the general public.

Mr Brown said he would give Parliament, subject to certain restrictions, the decision over the "grave issue of peace and war". MPs would also get the right to approve the dissolution of Parliament and any emergency recall.

The Prime Minister said Parliament would have a bigger role in the appointment of "key public officials" including the Governor of the Bank of England, Chief Inspector of Prisons and utility regulators.

Mr Brown will create a National Security Council "sending out a clear message that at all times we will be vigilant and we will never yield". A national security strategy will also be published regularly, setting out threats and objectives.

The reforms are seen as moving towards a basic Bill of Rights for UK citizens, which Mr Brown is said to believe would rebuild trust and a sense of Britishness.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw will be responsible for seeing through any legislation needed but Mr Brown's statement signals his desire to be seen leading a different type of government.

The Prime Minister is also making changes behind the scenes, with Cabinet's weekly meeting is moving from Thursdays to Tuesdays - because Mr Brown wants ministers to have longer discussions.

In the latest reform at No 10, the decades-old routine has been changed so that longer meetings can be held without clashing with early sittings of the House of Commons.

Cabinet members were duly gathering in Downing Street this morning for the first of what will now become a new tradition.

The problem with Thursday sessions was that the Commons convenes at 10.30am, which meant that any minister due to attend questions in the House would have to leave Cabinet early.

That was seldom a problem in Tony Blair's day because his Cabinet meetings were notoriously short - according to legend, being over usually before the tea trolley reached the junior members.

However, Mr Brown has said he wants to give all members a chance to speak, and his first meeting went on for one hour and 45 minutes, prompting some old hands to complain privately it was too long.

Lengthy meetings are no problem on Tuesdays - when the House does not sit until 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, Labour MPs are expected to meet this week to begin discussing the development of policies for the party's general election manifesto.

Mr Brown, who could hold an election as early as next year, has appointed six party vicechairs to help improve Labour's organisation and campaigning while 14 backbenchers will work with colleagues to produce minimanifestos.

These will then be handed to Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband, in charge of drawing up the document.

The move reflects Mr Brown's promise to give MPs more say over policy and encourage local activists to get more involved in campaigning.