The influx of honorable members into the parliament’s unelected upper house means there are now 831 peers of the realm, up from 666 ten years ago. Cameron has added 117 members in under a year, a faster rate than any of his post-war predecessors.

Problems included overcrowding in the gilded chamber, a lack of space on the red leather benches and cramped conditions in the prestigious House of Lords library and catering facilities.

“The fear is that David Cameron may unwittingly destroy the Lords through this volume of appointments,” said Meg Russell, deputy director of the Constitution Unit at University College London, which wrote the ‘House Full’ report.

The report complains of a newly “fractious atmosphere” as a result of honorable members not being able to contribute effectively and said the arrival of numerous former lawmakers from the lower house, the House of Commons, had had a “negative impact” on the culture of the chamber.

“In the past, members of the House of Lords have been added only gradually, and become socialized in the chamber’s practices and conventions. Most obviously, the chamber is known for having a non-partisan ethos, and a courteous atmosphere,” it said.

“It has been widely noted that the influx of a large number of new members, including many former MPs, has resulted in changed behavior.”

The report is endorsed by a cross-party group of 13 peers including former Labour cabinet minister Lord Adonis, former Speaker of the House of Commons Baroness Betty Boothroyd and former Conservative Cabinet Minister Lord Forsyth.