Summary
Last year the House endorsed our proposal to work
up an e-petitioning system for the House of Commons. Experience
elsewhere, notably on the No. 10 Downing Street website, has demonstrated
high levels of public interest and engagement. Historically and
constitutionally the House of Commons is the place to which petitions
should properly be presented. It is time for the House to reclaim
that role in the internet age.
E-petitioning offers a simple, effective and transparent
way for the public to tell the House and its Members about what
matters to them and to indicate the levels of support for their
concerns. And with e-petitioning, the House could respond to those
petitioners telling them about the progress of their petitions
and even about what else the House might be doing on the same
issue.
Our proposed scheme retains the direct involvement
of constituency Members of Parliament in the petitions procedure.
This is a strength of our current procedures; it provides petitioners
with advice and support and a route to follow up the petition
after its presentation. We propose that:
- E-petitions are submitted via
the parliamentary website
- If they comply with the House's
rules, the petitioner's constituency MP will be asked to act as
facilitator
- The e-petition is then posted on the parliamentary
website for a set period. Others may add their names to it
- At the end of the period, it is closed. Members
will be able to indicate support for it
- It is then presented to the House, either electronically
or on the floor
- Petitioners and signatories may opt in to receive
updates on the progress of the e-petition and/or up to two emails
from their constituency MP
- E-petitions will be printed in Hansard and sent
to select committees and may be considered by them
- The Government will normally be expected to reply
within two months of presentation
- On three occasions each year, certain e-petitions
will be debated by the House of Commons in Westminster Hall.
Setting up an e-petitions scheme is not without risks.
We are not aware of any other existing scheme of comparable scale
and ambition. Its successful implementation will require new ways
of working and novel forms of governance. If it is to attract
the widest possible range of users, it will need to be able to
adapt and respond to what they expect of it. It must be able to
cope with potentially high and unpredictable levels of demand.
If e-petitioning is to be successful it must deliver
outcomes which meet public expectations. Partly that will involve
explaining to the public what those expectations should be. But
we also recognise that the introduction of e-petitioning will
itself raise expectations and that the House will need to show
that it is willing and able to respond.
E-petitioning has the potential to open up the House's
proceedings in new and to some extent unpredictable ways. Overall
it could make a major contribution to the House's strategic objective
to 'make itself more accessible, to make it easier for people
to understand the work of Parliament and do more to communicate
its activity to the general public.'
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