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Petitions Committee

The Petitions Committee is a parliamentary committee of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Its role is to oversee petitions submitted to Parliament, including both electronically through the UK Parliament petitions website, and traditional paper petitions. The committee is one of the youngest in the Commons, formed in 2015, and is made up of 11 backbench Members of Parliament.

Procedure

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The process for e-petitions differs from the process for paper petitions, which can only be presented to the House of Commons by an MP.[1]

E-petitions can be submitted by British citizens and UK residents to the UK Government and Parliament via the UK Parliament petitions website. Petitions must be about something which Government or Parliament is responsible for, and must ask for a specific action from Parliament or Government.

An e-petition must be signed by the petition creator and five supporters before it will be sent for moderation. Moderation ensures that draft petitions meet the website's standards for publication. Petitions which do not meet the website's standards are rejected. Petitions published on the website are available for members of the public to sign. Petitions remain open for signatures for six months. At the end of six months, petitions are closed and formally reported by the Petitions Committee to Parliament.

All petitions which are published are reviewed by the Petitions Committee. Petitions which reach 10,000 signatures receive a written response from the UK Government. The committee can schedule debates in the House of Commons' second debating chamber (Westminster Hall), on Monday evenings at 4.30 pm.[2]

When Parliament is dissolved, all open petitions on petition.parliament.uk are closed, and new petitions are not accepted. After a new Petitions Committee is set up by the House of Commons, closed petitions are not reopened.

Petitions which reach 100,000 signatures are considered by the committee for debate. Petitions may not be put forward for debate if the issue has been debated recently, or is already scheduled for debate in the near future. Most petitions which reach the threshold are debated.

The Petitions Committee may also take other action on published petitions. On 1 March 2016 the Committee published its first report, Funding for research into brain tumours, in response to a petition which had gained over 120,000 signatures.[3]

The Petitions Committee has also taken oral evidence jointly with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on grouse shooting,[4] with the Health Select Committee on the meningitis B vaccine,[5] and with the Women and Equalities Committee on high heels and workplace dress codes[6] in response to petitions.

Membership

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2024-present

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Membership of the committee is as follows:[7]

Member Party Constituency
Jamie Stone MP (Chair) Liberal Democrats Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Lewis Atkinson MP Labour Sunderland Central
Kevin Bonavia MP Labour Stevenage
Irene Campbell MP Labour North Ayrshire and Arran
Ben Goldsborough MP Labour South Norfolk
Robbie Moore MP Conservative Keighley and Ilkley
Dave Robertson MP Labour Lichfield
Roz Savage MP Liberal Democrats South Cotswolds
Tony Vaughan MP Labour Folkestone and Hythe

2019-2024

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In May 2024, the members of the committee was follows:[8][9]

Member Party Constituency
Cat Smith MP (chair) Labour Lancaster and Wyre
Tonia Antoniazzi MP Labour Gower
Elliot Colburn MP Conservative Carshalton and Wallington
Martyn Day MP SNP Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Marsha de Cordova MP Labour Battersea
Nick Fletcher MP Conservative Don Valley
Jonathan Gullis MP Conservative Stoke-on-Trent North
Peter Gibson MP Conservative Darlington
Christina Rees MP Labour Neath
Tracey Crouch MP Conservative Chatham and Aylesford

Petitions debated by the Commons

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2015–2017 Parliament

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Date Petition title Topic Records of the debate
14/09/2015 To debate a vote of no confidence in Health Secretary the Right Hon Jeremy Hunt (Contracts and conditions in the NHS) Junior doctors
12/10/2015 Make the production, sale and use of cannabis legal. Cannabis in the United Kingdom, Legality of cannabis
19/10/2015 Stop allowing immigrants into the UK Immigration in the United Kingdom
26/10/2015 Make an allowance for up to 2 weeks term time leave from school for holiday English school holidays
30/11/2015 Introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK to improve our children's health Sugary drinks tax
07/12/2015 Don't kill our bees! Immediately halt the use of Neonicotinoids on crops Bees and toxic chemicals, Neonicotinoids
11/01/2016 Keep the NHS Bursary NHS Student Bursary
18/01/2016 Block Donald J Trump from UK entry; Don't ban Trump from the United Kingdom Donald Trump
25/01/2016 Scrap plans forcing self-employed & small business to do 4 tax returns yearly Taxation in the United Kingdom
01/02/2016 Make fair transitional state pension arrangements for 1950s women Pensions in the United Kingdom
07/03/2016 Scrap the £35k threshold for non-EU citizens settling in the UK Immigration in the United Kingdom
21/03/2016 Jeremy Hunt to resume meaningful contract negotiations with the BMA Junior doctors
18/04/2016 Fund more research into brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of under-40s Brain tumors; cancer research
25/04/2016 Give the Meningitis B vaccine to ALL children, not just newborn babies Meningococcal vaccine
09/05/2016 Stop Cameron spending British taxpayers' money on Pro-EU Referendum leaflets 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum
06/06/2016 Restrict the use of fireworks to reduce stress and fear in animals and pets Fireworks law in the United Kingdom
13/06/2016 Stop spending a fixed 0.7 per cent slice of our national wealth on Foreign Aid Department for International Development
04/07/2016 Include expressive arts subjects in the EBacc English Baccalaureate
11/07/2016 No more school penalty fines and bring back the 10 day authorised absence English school holidays
18/07/2016 Stop retrospective changes to the student loans agreement Student loans in the United Kingdom
5/09/2016 EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU Referendum Second referendum on EU membership
12/09/2016 Urge the South Korean Government to end the brutal dog meat trade Dog meat consumption in South Korea
17/10/2016 Invoke Article 50 of The Lisbon Treaty immediately UK invocation of Article 50
24/10/2016 Debate in the House the Local Government Pension Scheme Investment Regulations Local Government Pension Scheme
31/10/2016 Ban driven grouse shooting Driven grouse shooting
21/11/2016 Free childcare when both parents are working. Not just those who are on benefits Child care in the United Kingdom
12/12/2016 Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day! Boxing Day bank holiday
12/12/2016 Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day! Boxing Day bank holiday
23/01/2017 Ban all non-recyclable/non-compostable packaging in the UK Packaging waste
30/01/2017 Demand an end to the pay restraint imposed on agenda for change NHS staff National Health Service staff
06/02/2017 Shut down the domestic ivory market in the UK Ivory trade
20/02/2017 Prevent Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the United Kingdom; Donald Trump should make a State Visit to the United Kingdom Donald Trump
27/02/2017 Make it a specific criminal offence to attack any member of NHS Medical Staff National Health Service staff
06/03/2017 Make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at work Dress code
13/03/2017 April's Law Child abuse
20/03/2017 Put a max of £1200 on car insurance for 18-25 year olds Car insurance
27/03/2017 End the badger cull instead of expanding to new areas Badger culling in the United Kingdom
24/04/2017 Authorise open book examinations for GCSE English Literature 2017 General Certificate of Secondary Education

2017–2019 Parliament

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Date Petition title Topic Records of the debate
23/10/2017 Make paying rent enough proof that you are able meet mortgage repayments Mortgage industry of the United Kingdom
30/10/2017 To make votes matter, adopt Proportional Representation for UK General Elections Elections in the United Kingdom
6/11/2017 Make mental health education compulsory in primary and secondary schools Mental health in the United Kingdom
13/11/2017 Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence Proposed second Scottish independence referendum
20/11/2017 Abolish the TV Licence Television licensing in the United Kingdom
27/11/2017 Change the university fees from £9250 back to the £3000 fee for the UK Tuition fees in the United Kingdom
4/12/2017 Pay Up Now! – Scrap the pay cap and give public servants a meaningful pay rise Public sector
11/12/2017
  • Hold a referendum on the final Brexit deal
  • Reject all demands from the EU for penalty charges for Brexit
  • Put the final Brexit deal to a referendum with revoking Article 50 as an option
  • No referendum on the final deal for the UK to remain in the European Union
 Proposed referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement
18/12/2017 Put pressure on Libya to take action to stop enslavement of Black Africans Slavery in Libya
15/1/2018 Keep Childcare Vouchers open beyond April 2018 Childcare voucher scheme
22/1/2018 Leave the EU immediately No-deal Brexit
29/1/2018 Change the laws governing the use of fireworks to include a ban on public use Fireworks law in the United Kingdom
26/2/2018 End the export of live farm animals after Brexit Live export in the United Kingdom
5/3/2018 Make British Sign Language part of the National Curriculum British Sign Language
5/3/2018 Insurance should be on the car itself instead of the individuals who drive it Vehicle insurance in the United Kingdom
19/3/2018 Make Orkambi available on the NHS for people with Cystic Fibrosis Lumacaftor/ivacaftor
26/3/2018 Change the GCSE English Literature exam from closed book to open book General Certificate of Secondary Education

References

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  1. ^ "Ask your MP to present a petition". UK Parliament.
  2. ^ See Standing Order No. 10(1)(a). "Weekly decisions". UK Parliament.
  3. ^ HC 554 2015-16. "Funding for research into brain tumours". UK Parliament.
  4. ^ "Grouse shooting joint evidence session". UK Parliament.
  5. ^ "Meningitis B vaccine inquiry". UK Parliament.
  6. ^ "High heels and workplace dress codes inquiry". UK Parliament.
  7. ^ "Petitions Committee". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Membership - Petitions Committee". UK Parliament.
  9. ^ "Business without Debate Volume 750: debated on Tuesday 14 May 2024". hansard.parliament.uk. UK Hansard. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024. That Matt Vickers and Tom Hunt be discharged from the Petitions Committee and Tracey Crouch and Peter Gibson be added.—(Sir Bill Wiggin, on behalf of the Committee of Selection.)
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