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.
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.See Standing Order No. 10(1)(a).
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.HC 554 2015-16.
The Petitions Committee has also taken oral evidence jointly with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on grouse shooting, with the Health Select Committee on the meningitis B vaccine, and with the Women and Equalities Committee on high heels and workplace dress codes in response to petitions.
Chairs Committee chairs include those listed below.https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/membership/former/
NameStartEndPartyConstituencyLabourWarrington NorthLabourNewcastle upon Tyne NorthLabourLancaster and FleetwoodpresentLiberal DemocratsCaithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Membership 2024-present Membership of the committee is as follows:
Member Party Constituency Jamie Stone MP (Chair) Liberal Democrats Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Lewis Atkinson MP Labour Sunderland Central Irene Campbell MP Labour North Ayrshire and Arran Jacob Collier MP Labour Burton and Uttoxeter Paul Davies MP Labour Colne Valley Ben Goldsborough MP Labour South Norfolk John Lamont MP Conservative Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk 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
Changes since 2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 6 January 2025 Kevin Bonavia MP (Labour) Stevenage → Paul Davies MP (Labour) Colne Valley Hansard 3 March 2025 David Baines MP (Labour) St Helens North → Jacob Collier MP (Labour) Burton and Uttoxeter Hansard
2019-2024 The chair was elected on 29 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020.
Member Party Constituency Catherine McKinnell MP (Chair) Labour Newcastle upon Tyne North Elliot Colburn MP Conservative Carshalton and Wallington Martyn Day MP SNP Linlithgow and East Falkirk Steve Double MP Conservative St Austell and Newquay Chris Evans MP Labour and Co-op Islwyn Katherine Fletcher MP Conservative South Ribble Nick Fletcher MP Conservative Don Valley Mike Hill MP Labour Hartlepool Tom Hunt MP Conservative Ipswich Kerry McCarthy MP Labour Bristol East Theresa Villiers MP Conservative Chipping Barnet
Changes 2019-2024 Date Outgoing Member& Party Constituency → New Member& Party Constituency Source 8 June 2020 Kerry McCarthy MP (Labour) Bristol East → Tonia Antoniazzi MP (Labour) Gower Hansard 8 June 2020 Steve Double MP (Conservative) St Austell and Newquay → Jonathan Gullis MP (Conservative) Stoke-on-Trent North Hansard 1 March 2021 Theresa Villiers MP (Conservative) Chipping Barnet → Matt Vickers MP (Conservative) Stockton South Hansard 16 March 2021 Mike Hill MP (Labour) Hartlepool →Vacant Resignation of member from Parliament 20 April 2021Vacant → Taiwo Owatemi MP (Labour) Coventry North West Hansard 13 July 2021 Chris Evans MP (Labour) Islwyn → Christina Rees MP (Labour and Co-op) Neath Hansard 15 March 2022 Taiwo Owatemi MP (Labour) Coventry North West → Marsha de Cordova MP (Labour) Battersea Hansard 21 June 2022 Katherine Fletcher MP (Conservative) South Ribble → Scott Benton MP (Conservative) Blackpool South Hansard 6 September 2023 Catherine McKinnell MP (Chair, Labour) Newcastle upon Tyne North →Vacant Hansard 20 April 2021Vacant → Cat Smith MP (Chair, Labour) Lancaster and Fleetwood Hansard 25 March 2024 Scott Benton MP (Independent) Blackpool South →Vacant Resignation of member from Parliament 14 May 2024 Tom Hunt MP (Conservative) Ipswich → Tracey Crouch MP (Conservative) Chatham and AylesfordHansard Matt Vickers MP (Conservative) Stockton South Peter Gibson MP (Conservative) Darlington 20 April 2024Vacant → Steve Double MP (Conservative) St Austell and Newquay Hansard
Petitions debated by the Commons 2015–2017 Parliament 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 Debate video Hansard 12/10/2015 Make the production, sale and use of cannabis legal. Cannabis in the United Kingdom, Legality of cannabis Debate video Hansard19/10/2015 Stop allowing immigrants into the UK Immigration in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard26/10/2015 Make an allowance for up to 2 weeks term time leave from school for holiday English school holidays Debate video Hansard30/11/2015 Introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK to improve our children's health Sugary drinks tax Debate video Hansard07/12/2015 Don't kill our bees! Immediately halt the use of Neonicotinoids on crops Bees and toxic chemicals, Neonicotinoids Debate video Hansard11/01/2016 Keep the NHS Bursary NHS Student Bursary Debate video Hansard18/01/2016 Block Donald J Trump from UK entry; Don't ban Trump from the United Kingdom Donald Trump Debate video Hansard25/01/2016 Scrap plans forcing self-employed & small business to do 4 tax returns yearly Taxation in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard01/02/2016 Make fair transitional state pension arrangements for 1950s women Pensions in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard07/03/2016 Scrap the £35k threshold for non-EU citizens settling in the UK Immigration in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard21/03/2016 Jeremy Hunt to resume meaningful contract negotiations with the BMA Junior doctors Debate video Hansard18/04/2016 Fund more research into brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of under-40s Brain tumors; cancer research Debate video Hansard25/04/2016 Give the Meningitis B vaccine to ALL children, not just newborn babies Meningococcal vaccine Debate video Hansard09/05/2016 Stop Cameron spending British taxpayers' money on Pro-EU Referendum leaflets 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum Debate video Hansard06/06/2016 Restrict the use of fireworks to reduce stress and fear in animals and pets Fireworks law in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard13/06/2016 Stop spending a fixed 0.7 per cent slice of our national wealth on Foreign Aid Department for International Development Debate video Hansard04/07/2016 Include expressive arts subjects in the EBacc English Baccalaureate Debate video Hansard11/07/2016 No more school penalty fines and bring back the 10 day authorised absence English school holidays Debate video Hansard18/07/2016 Stop retrospective changes to the student loans agreement Student loans in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard5/09/2016 EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU Referendum Second referendum on EU membership Debate video Hansard12/09/2016 Urge the South Korean Government to end the brutal dog meat trade Dog meat consumption in South Korea Debate video Hansard17/10/2016 Invoke Article 50 of The Lisbon Treaty immediately UK invocation of Article 50 Debate video Hansard24/10/2016 Debate in the House the Local Government Pension Scheme Investment Regulations Local Government Pension Scheme Debate video Hansard31/10/2016 Ban driven grouse shooting Driven grouse shooting Debate video Hansard21/11/2016 Free childcare when both parents are working. Not just those who are on benefits Child care in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard12/12/2016 Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day! Boxing Day bank holiday Debate video Hansard12/12/2016 Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day! Boxing Day bank holiday Debate video Hansard23/01/2017 Ban all non-recyclable/non-compostable packaging in the UK Packaging waste Debate video Hansard30/01/2017 Demand an end to the pay restraint imposed on agenda for change NHS staff National Health Service staff Debate video Hansard06/02/2017 Shut down the domestic ivory market in the UK Ivory trade Debate video Hansard20/02/2017 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 Debate video Hansard27/02/2017 Make it a specific criminal offence to attack any member of NHS Medical Staff National Health Service staff Debate video Hansard06/03/2017 Make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at work Dress code Debate video Hansard13/03/2017 April's Law Child abuse Debate video Hansard20/03/2017 Put a max of £1200 on car insurance for 18-25 year olds Car insurance Debate video Hansard27/03/2017 End the badger cull instead of expanding to new areas Badger culling in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard24/04/2017 Authorise open book examinations for GCSE English Literature 2017 General Certificate of Secondary Education Debate video Hansard
2017–2019 Parliament 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 Debate video Hansard 30/10/2017 To make votes matter, adopt Proportional Representation for UK General Elections Elections in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard 6/11/2017 Make mental health education compulsory in primary and secondary schools Mental health in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard 13/11/2017 Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence Proposed second Scottish independence referendum Debate video Hansard 20/11/2017 Abolish the TV Licence Television licensing in the United Kingdom Debate video Hansard 27/11/2017 Change the university fees from £9250 back to the £3000 fee for the UK Tuition fees in the United Kingdom Debate video