By Richard Parsons - 19th May 2011
In response to a freedom of information request, the Cabinet Office's Government Digital Service has revealed the proposal document for the ePetitions system now being built for the DirectGov website.
The system is going to be developed by the recently-formed HMG Skunkworks so this will be a high-profile early test for them.
This is especially so given that the new site is expected to be more popular due to the pledge to allow petitions with 100,000 signatories to be debated in Parliament.
"This outcome to get debate in Parliament is new and is expected to attract much higher volumes than was seen with the Number 10 e-petitions site," says the document.
The development cost is put at around £46,000 before VAT (excluding design work and "widget production") and it will have, as before, three full time staff (costing £86,000 in total) engaged in what is described as "light touch moderation" covering checking for profanity, party political endorsements, libel and offensive material.
There may be some sad news though for those who want to make Jeremy Clarkson prime minister or have Nick Clegg sacked as deputy prime minister.
The document says there will be internal discussions on "the validity of personality-based petitions, especially (news-chasing) calls for removal from office, and the grounds on which such petitions should be ruled out if this is the preferred direction".
That option may be linked to the proposal that petitions "should have a cooling off period, prior to publication for signing, of a recommended 30 days."
The wording is ambiguous, but if it means that every ePetition sits in limbo for a month before it is opened for signatures, that will make it very hard for people to launch petitions on topical issues.
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