Petitions CommitteeAnne-Marie GriffithsClerk

Petitions to Parliament and Government

– What are the new arrangements for petitions to Parliament and Government?

– How do they work in practice?– What might the new Petitions Committee be able to achieve?

The petitions system

• A new e-petitions website, jointly owned by the House of Commons and the Government and operated collaboratively

• Oversight of the joint e-petitions site and the traditional paper-based petitions system by a Petitions Committee of the House of Commons

• Petitions Committee supported by a staff team to advise and engage with petitioners, and to provide updates about parliamentary activity related to a petition

• Must make a clear request to the House or the Government, about something which is within their responsibility (and not libellous, offensive, etc)

• An e-petition needs six supporters to be opened for signature on the new site

• After six months, every e-petition is formally presented to the House and recorded in the Votes and Proceedings

• Any British citizen or UK resident can start or sign an e-petition – no age limit

• Government responds to petitions which reach 10,000 signatures

E-petitions

Public (paper) petitions

• Must be presented to the House by an MP• Must be addressed to the House and ask for something that the

House can do• Must be hand-signed by at least one petitioner• After presentation, the Government usually provides a response

What can the Petitions Committee do with petitions?

• Seek further info in writing - from petitioners, the Government, other public bodies, other relevant people/organisations

• Seek further information in person – in Parliament or elsewhere• Refer to another select committee (but no obligation to act)• Schedule a debate in Westminster Hall (Monday afternoon, from

4.30pm for up to three hours)• Ask the Backbench Business Committee for debating time in the

Chamber• Nothing

How do petitions get debated?

• The Committee has agreed that it will usually schedule petitions with over 100,000 signatures for debate, unless:

- The subject has recently been debated or is likely to be debated in the near future;

- The Committee (or another parliamentary or government body) has decided to pursue the issue in another way; 

- The subject is unsuitable for debate in Parliament.

• Topics can be raised in other debates in Parliament, with the petition listed as relevant

Joint working with other committees

• Try to avoid duplication of work• Alert petitioners to relevant select committee work• Petition creators invited to give oral evidence to committees• Referral of e-petition on sugary drinks to the Health Committee –

leading to a debate

Committee inquiry

• Inquiry into funding for research into brain tumours • E-petition started by Maria Lester, sister of Stephen Realf• Very little parliamentary activity in recent years• Subject suitable for detailed inquiry• Oral evidence from petitioners, charities, clinicians and

researchers, funding body• Public engagement: web forum, informal round table discussion• In the coming months: a report and a debate

What’s the role of the Committee staff?

• Advising the Committee in its consideration of petitions• Moderating e-petitions submitted through the joint website• Giving advice to petitioners and the wider public about how the

process works• Keeping petitioners informed about parliamentary activity

relevant to their petition• Promoting the work of the Committee to a wider audience (with

support from colleagues in Parliament and beyond)

What might the Petitions Committee be able to achieve?

• Enhancing the public’s experience of engaging with Parliament/Government

• Reaching the “unusual” suspects• Subjects are raised in Parliament which otherwise wouldn’t have

been debated/investigated• Having an effect on public policy• Increasing public understanding of how Parliament/Government

work• Promoting existing action being taken by Parliament/Government

Find out more

• Email: petitionscommittee@parliament.uk

• Twitter: @HoCPetitions

• Petitions site: petition.parliament.uk

• About the Committee: http://www.parliament.uk/petitions-committee