Whether you’re a member of the public, a corporate body, a representative of a pressure group or any other organisation, you can have your say by submitting a petition on matters of concern to the Parliament.

Announcing the new guidance, committee convener John McAllion said:

"The three central tenets of the Scottish Parliament are openness, accessibility and accountability. By publishing these guidelines today on how to present a petition, the Parliament takes another step towards ensuring that it is genuinely open, accessible and accountable to the people of Scotland.

"Of course the idea of being able to send a petition to Parliament is not a new one. However, unlike Westminster, we don’t have a threshold for the number of signatories needed, nor do you have to send it via your local politician – although you can still do so if you wish.

"Petitions could be about a matter of public concern; an individual complaint; a request for the Parliament to take a stance on a matter of public interest; a request for the introduction of legislation or amendment to existing legislation; or any other matter within the competence of the Parliament.

"The Public Petitions Committee will ensure that all petitions which meet certain basic criteria are given full and proper consideration. We can pass them on to other committees of the Parliament, or to other bodies and organisations outwith the Parliament for further consideration as appropriate. Again, this is unlike Westminster, where petitions tend to end up in a bag behind the Speaker’s chair.

"This allows unprecedented direct access to the Parliament by individuals and groups who wish to draw our attention to issues which concern them."

Full details of the Guidance on the Submission of Public Petitions can be obtained from the Parliament’s website or from:

Clerk to the Public Petitions Committee
The Scottish Parliament
EDINBURGH
EH 99 1SP

BACKGROUND NOTES

The main role of the Public Petitions Committee (PPC) is to consider each admissible petition and make a decision on the action to be taken in each case. It must also respond formally to the petitioner following this consideration stating clearly the action which is to be taken or to give notice in cases where no action is to be taken. The PPC will monitor the action taken in respect of all petitions submitted to the Parliament.

The following admissibility criteria apply to petitions:

• petitions must clearly indicate:

the name of the petitioner;

the address of the petitioner to which all communications concerning the petition should be sent

the name and address of any person supporting the petition.

• petitions must be in English (petitions may also be submitted in Scots Gaelic - or any other language – but only in addition to the English version)

• petitions must request the Parliament to do something which it clearly has power to do.

• petitions must not contain offensive language (this means that petitions should not include obvious swear words, nor should they include language which is intemperate, inflammatory, sarcastic or provocative, or to which those reading it could reasonably take offence.

• petitions should be typewritten or printed in black or blue ink on A4 paper

• petitions can be submitted in Braille (it may also be possible in appropriate circumstances for petitions to be submitted in other formats by those with special needs) but for practical reasons, petitions submitted in Braille should be accompanied by a copy of the petition in printed form.

The Public Petitions Committee’s membership is as follows:

Helen Eadie, Phil Gallie, Christine Grahame, John McAllion (Convener), Pauline McNeill, Margaret Smith and Sandra White.