ELECTRONIC PETITIONS

Early day motion 262, tabled 2 December 2002 by Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 18 members.

That this House values the opportunity for honourable Members to present formal petitions to the House; notes that the most recent report by the Procedure Committee on Public Petitions was published during the 1991-92 session, before the recent rapid expansion in the use of e-mails by the general public; notes that existing rules prohibit the submission of printed lists of petition supporters; believes that members of the public should have the opportunity to register their support for petitions electronically if they wish and that such an opportunity would increase engagement with the political process; and calls on the Procedure Committee to investigate as a matter of urgency practical ways in which petition signatures gathered electronically might be accorded the same weight in the procedures of the House as signatures gathered in traditional ways.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 13, Labour 4, Labour/Co-operative 1.