On a web and a prayer
The Procedure Committee of the House of Commons has
been reviewing the prospect for ePetitions
within Parliament. Their just released report paints a positive picture for
the future of ePetitions but raises cautions about their introduction alongside
the traditional written petition. We're not likely to see anything on the parliament.uk website before 2010.
It's certainly positive that the committee has taken a
strong line on the necessary procedures and practices that are required, rather
than focussing narrowly on a technological solution. They state a hope that
ePetitions will open up democracy, perhaps overstating the case a little, but
what is clear is that Parliament is certainly keen to move further into the
digital age, and that's a good thing.
Rightly, there is concern of overlap and confusion
between a new parliamentary system and the existing ePetitions site at 10 Downing Street.
Close it down and leave it to the House is the polite conclusion! Sound advice as finally we're looking at an
online petitioning system where citizens have a real chance of being heard.
If the recommendations are implemented, ePetitions
will be assigned to the constituency MP of the petitioner. The format gets a
bit of a makeover too, simplified slightly from the traditional paper-based
system but the overall concept of petitioner, prayer, explanation and
signatories is retained. Interestingly, the idea of a Petitions Committee is
rejected in favour of the Procedure Committee retaining control and the process
being managed by the Clerks.
I'm pleased to see that the feeling is to keep the
system open and manage problem or malicious petitions within that system,
rather than trying to lock it down from the start. That's a good approach. The
Procedure Committee is also upbeat about managing the quantity of petitions
too. The only recommendation I'm struggling with is the idea that three
petitions a year get debated in
Westminster Hall. It's a rather quantitative sore-thumb amid a set of
recommendations that are refreshingly focussed on the qualitative nature of
petitions. The significance of the topic and a well argued prayer seem to have
won the day over a simplistic count of signatures and so it's hard to see how
such debates offer anything other than a media-savvy gimmick!
Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk