Politicians and their guests in parliament will have their glasses of wine "topped up less frequently" as part of measures designed to crack down on the perception there is excessive drinking in the House of Commons.

In a statement published on Tuesday, the House of Commons Commission, which runs many of the the bars on the parliamentary estate, said took its responsibility for the welfare of those who work on the Commons Estate "very seriously".

Under the new regime the pubs a wider range of non-alcoholic drinks and lower strength beers will be provided in catering outlets

Staff serving alcohol would receive further training and support in refusing to serve customers when necessary.

The Commission, which is chaired by Speaker John Bercow, also decided to examine whether the opening hours of the various watering holes should be changed.

In an effort to combat the perception that MPs are able to sip beer for a cheaper price than the public outside the parliamentary estate at the taxpayer's expense, the Commission said "significant price increases had occurred in recent years and that bar prices were now comparable to high street pubs".

The ruling comes in the wake of a series of high profile public relations disasters for the bars on the parliamentary estate including when Falkirk West MP Eric Joyce went on a drunken rampage, head-butting a fellow politician.