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

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

As of October 2023, the members of the committee are as follows:[7]

Member Party Constituency
Cat Smith MP (chair) Labour Lancaster and Fleetwood
Tonia Antoniazzi MP Labour Gower
Scott Benton MP Conservative Blackpool South
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
Tom Hunt MP Conservative Ipswich
Christina Rees MP Independent[lower-alpha 1] Neath
Matt Vickers MP Conservative Stockton South
  1. ↑ Suspended from Labour.

Petitions debated by the Commons

2015-2017 Parliament

DatePetition titleTopicRecords of the debate
14/09/2015To debate a vote of no confidence in Health Secretary the Right Hon Jeremy Hunt (Contracts and conditions in the NHS)Junior doctors
12/10/2015Make the production, sale and use of cannabis legal.Cannabis in the United Kingdom, Legality of cannabis
19/10/2015Stop allowing immigrants into the UKImmigration in the United Kingdom
26/10/2015Make an allowance for up to 2 weeks term time leave from school for holidayEnglish school holidays
30/11/2015Introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK to improve our children's healthSugary drinks tax
07/12/2015Don't kill our bees! Immediately halt the use of Neonicotinoids on cropsBees and toxic chemicals, Neonicotinoids
11/01/2016Keep the NHS BursaryNHS Student Bursary
18/01/2016Block Donald J Trump from UK entry; Don't ban Trump from the United KingdomDonald Trump
25/01/2016Scrap plans forcing self-employed & small business to do 4 tax returns yearlyTaxation in the United Kingdom
01/02/2016Make fair transitional state pension arrangements for 1950's womenPensions in the United Kingdom
07/03/2016Scrap the £35k threshold for non-EU citizens settling in the UKImmigration in the United Kingdom
21/03/2016Jeremy Hunt to resume meaningful contract negotiations with the BMAJunior doctors
18/04/2016Fund more research into brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of under-40sBrain tumors; cancer research
25/04/2016Give the Meningitis B vaccine to ALL children, not just newborn babiesMeningococcal vaccine
09/05/2016Stop Cameron spending British taxpayers' money on Pro-EU Referendum leaflets2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum
06/06/2016Restrict the use of fireworks to reduce stress and fear in animals and petsFireworks law in the United Kingdom
13/06/2016Stop spending a fixed 0.7 per cent slice of our national wealth on Foreign AidDepartment for International Development
04/07/2016Include expressive arts subjects in the EBaccEnglish Baccalaureate
11/07/2016No more school penalty fines and bring back the 10 day authorised absenceEnglish school holidays
18/07/2016Stop retrospective changes to the student loans agreementStudent loans in the United Kingdom
5/09/2016EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU ReferendumSecond referendum on EU membership
12/09/2016Urge the South Korean Government to end the brutal dog meat tradeDog meat consumption in South Korea
17/10/2016Invoke Article 50 of The Lisbon Treaty immediatelyUK invocation of Article 50
24/10/2016Debate in the House the Local Government Pension Scheme Investment RegulationsLocal Government Pension Scheme
31/10/2016Ban driven grouse shootingDriven grouse shooting
21/11/2016Free childcare when both parents are working. Not just those who are on benefitsChild care in the United Kingdom
12/12/2016Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day!Boxing Day bank holiday
12/12/2016Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day!Boxing Day bank holiday
23/01/2017Ban all non-recyclable/non-compostable packaging in the UKPackaging waste
30/01/2017Demand an end to the pay restraint imposed on agenda for change NHS staffNational Health Service staff
06/02/2017Shut down the domestic ivory market in the UKIvory trade
20/02/2017Prevent Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the United Kingdom; Donald Trump should make a State Visit to the United KingdomDonald Trump
27/02/2017Make it a specific criminal offence to attack any member of NHS Medical StaffNational Health Service staff
06/03/2017Make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at workDress code
13/03/2017April's LawChild abuse
20/03/2017Put a max of £1200 on car insurance for 18-25 year oldsCar insurance
27/03/2017End the badger cull instead of expanding to new areasBadger culling in the United Kingdom
24/04/2017Authorise open book examinations for GCSE English Literature 2017General Certificate of Secondary Education

2017-2019 Parliament

DatePetition titleTopicRecords of the debate
23/10/2017Make paying rent enough proof that you are able meet mortgage repaymentsMortgage industry of the United Kingdom
30/10/2017To make votes matter, adopt Proportional Representation for UK General ElectionsElections in the United Kingdom
6/11/2017Make mental health education compulsory in primary and secondary schoolsMental health in the United Kingdom
13/11/2017Agree to a second referendum on Scottish IndependenceProposed second Scottish independence referendum
20/11/2017Abolish the TV LicenceTelevision licensing in the United Kingdom
27/11/2017Change the university fees from £9250 back to the £3000 fee for the UKTuition fees in the United Kingdom
4/12/2017Pay Up Now! – Scrap the pay cap and give public servants a meaningful pay risePublic 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
18/12/2017Put pressure on Libya to take action to stop enslavement of Black AfricansSlavery in Libya
15/1/2018Keep Childcare Vouchers open beyond April 2018Childcare voucher scheme
22/1/2018Leave the EU immediatelyNo-deal Brexit
29/1/2018Change the laws governing the use of fireworks to include a ban on public useFireworks law in the United Kingdom
26/2/2018End the export of live farm animals after BrexitLive export in the United Kingdom
5/3/2018Make British Sign Language part of the National CurriculumBritish Sign Language
5/3/2018Insurance should be on the car itself instead of the individuals who drive itVehicle insurance in the United Kingdom
19/3/2018Make Orkambi available on the NHS for people with Cystic FibrosisLumacaftor/ivacaftor
26/3/2018Change the GCSE English Literature exam from closed book to open bookGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education

References

  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. ↑ "Membership - Petitions Committee". UK Parliament.
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