# 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

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.
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.
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.

## 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 | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | 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 | Outgoing Member & Party | Constituency | → | New Member & Party | 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 | Vacant | Vacant | Resignation of member from Parliament |
| 20 April 2021 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | 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 | Vacant | Vacant | Hansard |
| 20 April 2021 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | Cat Smith MP (Chair, Labour) | Lancaster and Fleetwood | Hansard |
| 25 March 2024 | | Scott Benton MP (Independent) | Blackpool South | → | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Resignation of member from Parliament |
| 14 May 2024 | | Tom Hunt MP (Conservative) | Ipswich | → | | Tracey Crouch MP (Conservative) | Chatham and Aylesford | Hansard |
| 14 May 2024 | | Matt Vickers MP (Conservative) | Stockton South | → | | Peter Gibson MP (Conservative) | Darlington | Hansard |
| 20 April 2024 | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | → | | Steve Double MP (Conservative) | St Austell and Newquay | Hansard |
* ↑ Whip suspended from 13 October 2022 to 1 February 2024.
* ↑ Whip suspended from 5 April 2023.

## 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 Hansard |
| 19/10/2015 | Stop allowing immigrants into the UK | Immigration in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 26/10/2015 | Make an allowance for up to 2 weeks term time leave from school for holiday | English school holidays | Debate video Hansard |
| 30/11/2015 | Introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK to improve our children's health | Sugary drinks tax | Debate video Hansard |
| 07/12/2015 | Don't kill our bees! Immediately halt the use of Neonicotinoids on crops | Bees and toxic chemicals, Neonicotinoids | Debate video Hansard |
| 11/01/2016 | Keep the NHS Bursary | NHS Student Bursary | Debate video Hansard |
| 18/01/2016 | Block Donald J Trump from UK entry; Don't ban Trump from the United Kingdom | Donald Trump | Debate video Hansard |
| 25/01/2016 | Scrap plans forcing self-employed & small business to do 4 tax returns yearly | Taxation in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 01/02/2016 | Make fair transitional state pension arrangements for 1950s women | Pensions in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 07/03/2016 | Scrap the £35k threshold for non-EU citizens settling in the UK | Immigration in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 21/03/2016 | Jeremy Hunt to resume meaningful contract negotiations with the BMA | Junior doctors | Debate video Hansard |
| 18/04/2016 | Fund more research into brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of under-40s | Brain tumors; cancer research | Debate video Hansard |
| 25/04/2016 | Give the Meningitis B vaccine to ALL children, not just newborn babies | Meningococcal vaccine | Debate video Hansard |
| 09/05/2016 | Stop Cameron spending British taxpayers' money on Pro-EU Referendum leaflets | 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum | Debate video Hansard |
| 06/06/2016 | Restrict the use of fireworks to reduce stress and fear in animals and pets | Fireworks law in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 13/06/2016 | Stop spending a fixed 0.7 per cent slice of our national wealth on Foreign Aid | Department for International Development | Debate video Hansard |
| 04/07/2016 | Include expressive arts subjects in the EBacc | English Baccalaureate | Debate video Hansard |
| 11/07/2016 | No more school penalty fines and bring back the 10 day authorised absence | English school holidays | Debate video Hansard |
| 18/07/2016 | Stop retrospective changes to the student loans agreement | Student loans in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 5/09/2016 | EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU Referendum | Second referendum on EU membership | Debate video Hansard |
| 12/09/2016 | Urge the South Korean Government to end the brutal dog meat trade | Dog meat consumption in South Korea | Debate video Hansard |
| 17/10/2016 | Invoke Article 50 of The Lisbon Treaty immediately | UK invocation of Article 50 | Debate video Hansard |
| 24/10/2016 | Debate in the House the Local Government Pension Scheme Investment Regulations | Local Government Pension Scheme | Debate video Hansard |
| 31/10/2016 | Ban driven grouse shooting | Driven grouse shooting | Debate video Hansard |
| 21/11/2016 | Free childcare when both parents are working. Not just those who are on benefits | Child care in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 12/12/2016 | Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day! | Boxing Day bank holiday | Debate video Hansard |
| 12/12/2016 | Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day! | Boxing Day bank holiday | Debate video Hansard |
| 23/01/2017 | Ban all non-recyclable/non-compostable packaging in the UK | Packaging waste | Debate video Hansard |
| 30/01/2017 | Demand an end to the pay restraint imposed on agenda for change NHS staff | National Health Service staff | Debate video Hansard |
| 06/02/2017 | Shut down the domestic ivory market in the UK | Ivory trade | Debate video Hansard |
| 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 | Debate video Hansard |
| 27/02/2017 | Make it a specific criminal offence to attack any member of NHS Medical Staff | National Health Service staff | Debate video Hansard |
| 06/03/2017 | Make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at work | Dress code | Debate video Hansard |
| 13/03/2017 | April's Law | Child abuse | Debate video Hansard |
| 20/03/2017 | Put a max of £1200 on car insurance for 18-25 year olds | Car insurance | Debate video Hansard |
| 27/03/2017 | End the badger cull instead of expanding to new areas | Badger culling in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 24/04/2017 | 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 Hansard |
| 4/12/2017 | Pay Up Now! – Scrap the pay cap and give public servants a meaningful pay rise | Public sector | Debate video Hansard |
| 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 | Debate video Hansard |
| 18/12/2017 | Put pressure on Libya to take action to stop enslavement of Black Africans | Slavery in Libya | Debate video Hansard |
| 15/1/2018 | Keep Childcare Vouchers open beyond April 2018 | Childcare voucher scheme | Debate video Hansard |
| 22/1/2018 | Leave the EU immediately | No-deal Brexit | Debate video Hansard |
| 29/1/2018 | Change the laws governing the use of fireworks to include a ban on public use | Fireworks law in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 26/2/2018 | End the export of live farm animals after Brexit | Live export in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 5/3/2018 | Make British Sign Language part of the National Curriculum | British Sign Language | Debate video Hansard |
| 5/3/2018 | Insurance should be on the car itself instead of the individuals who drive it | Vehicle insurance in the United Kingdom | Debate video Hansard |
| 19/3/2018 | Make Orkambi available on the NHS for people with Cystic Fibrosis | Lumacaftor/ivacaftor | Debate video Hansard |
| 26/3/2018 | Change the GCSE English Literature exam from closed book to open book | General Certificate of Secondary Education | Debate video Hansard |