Changes to the National Assembly’s petitions mean that any petition reaching 5,000 signatures will automatically be considered for a debate by the full Assembly.
The changes were agreed by the National Assembly during Plenary at the Senedd on Wednesday, 8 March and come into effect immediately.
Assembly petitions, including e-petitions, are one of the most direct ways people can influence the work of Assembly Members, and the system in place at the Senedd has been held up as an exemplar for other institutions around the world to follow.
Since 2007, when the current petitions process started, more than 700 petitions gathering more than 500,000 signatures have been considered by the previous or current Petitions Committee.
In 2016 a review led to a number of recommendations designed to protect the integrity of the Assembly’s petitions system and make it more responsive.
The recommendations being taken forward are:
- The Petitions Committee to automatically consider holding a plenary debate for any petition that obtains a signature threshold;
- That only people resident in Wales or organisations with a base in Wales should be able to submit petitions. There should be no restrictions on those who wish to sign a petition; and
- That the current dual threshold for signatures is scrapped and that the threshold for consideration of any petition is changed to 50 signatures.
“The National Assembly’s petitions system is, quite rightly, seen as benchmark for other legislatures to follow in terms of making a democratic institution more responsive to people’s concerns,” said Mike Hedges AM, Chair of the Petitions Committee.
“It is one of the most direct ways to influence the National Assembly’s work, and to bring issues people care about to light.
The Petitions Committee has set a nominal threshold of 5,000 signatures for consideration of a debate, but could still consider petitions with less signatures depending on circumstances such as the pertinence of the petition and the timing.
In raising the minimum threshold for signatures and requiring those who submit petitions to either live or be based in Wales, the Committee believes the changes will strike a balance between protecting the openness of the Assembly’s petitions system and helping to increase the credibility of the petitions process.
Mr Hedges said:
“The changes the Assembly has voted for will mean petitions with a lot of support behind them can be quickly considered and debated by the full Assembly.
“The other changes we have made will ensure the integrity of the petitions system while protecting its openness.”
Another change removes the distinction between a person and an organisation, meaning, for the first time, both now need to reach the minimum number of signatures for a petition to be eligible for consideration.
All the changes come as a result of a consultation with petitioners, stakeholders and the people of Wales.