Member News
Voters will be able to give their verdict on legislation for the first time from today as part of a plan to engage the public in the creation of new laws.
The Protection of Freedoms Bill is the first piece of legislation to be put online as part of the coalition's plan to garner detailed public comments on legislation.
Ministers want MPs to take account of views posted on the public reading stage website when they debate the bill.
David Cameron said: "Right now a tiny percentage of the population write legislation that will apply to 100 per cent of the population.
"This makes our laws poorer because it shuts out countless people across the country whose expertise could help.
"And it makes our politics poorer because it increases the sense that Parliament is somehow separate from the people rather than subservient to them.
"Our new Public Reading Stage will improve the level of debate and scrutiny of Bills by giving everyone the opportunity to go online and offer their views on any new legislation. That will mean better laws - and more trust in our politics."
The move follows a commitment in the coalition programme from government in which the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agreed to "introduce a new public reading stage for bills to give the public an opportunity to comment on proposed legislation online".
The website is a pilot version of that commitment and in future all legislation will be published on the site.
Normal parliamentary convention is that there should be at least two weekends between the initial publication of a Bill and the first proper debate in Parliament – the deadline for comments on the Freedom bill is March 7.
Comments on the site will be moderated but the Cabinet Office insist the moderation policy is not about censoring views but rather to ensure the discussion is "fair, inclusive, relevant and constructive".
"Moderation will not be used to suppress legitimate, reasoned discussion about the issues in the online document," the website claims.
Article Comments
Right, so the government is consulting on legislation via the internet, but it's not doing so until *after* the Bill's been introduced in Parliament. This is actually a step *down* from what we already had, isn't it?
I'm not sure the Big Society is all it's cracked up to be.
Nick
15th Feb 2011 at 5:27 pm
Peter Nikolic raises some interesting points. Will the moderators guidelines be published?
Will the moderators decisions be open to scrutiny and challenge, and should MP's be shielded from the vitriol that real anger sometimes generates?
Being too fussy will exclude many people who need to be heard from.
Is Parliament being obliged to take account of the views of people not entitled to be on our electoral register?
I'm not convinced that squashed politicians obstructing the M25 is a step in the right direction , but this Bill could be.
Bob Millidine
15th Feb 2011 at 10:25 am
An excellent idea! Let's hope the MPs are paying attention. And this comments area gives xenophobic nutters like peter nikolic a chance to blow off some steam.
Dave Cooper
15th Feb 2011 at 9:13 am
well i have found holes in the so called plans instantly
Comments on the site will be moderated but the Cabinet Office insist the moderation policy is not about censoring views but rather to ensure the discussion is 'fair, inclusive, relevant and constructive.'
'Moderation will not be used to suppress legitimate, reasoned discussion about the issues in the online document' the website claims.
That means any sensible comment that has concerns about our country and the way governments fail totally to control immigration ect will be thrown away all comments in support of Muslim values will be kept every thing else will be canned .
Have i got to come and park at the end of downing street with a van with around 50Kw of audio and give it some to get you down there to listen to what the people are saying and by people i do not mean tunnel hopper and boat jumpers .
I am getting very angry with seeing the state you in government are letting our nation decline into i will say again get out if you cant look after the country go and play in the fast lane of the M25 in the rush hour .. simple
peter nikolic
15th Feb 2011 at 8:50 am
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