You can present a paper petition (also known as a public petition) on behalf of your constituents or other members of the public.
There are two methods:
- Formal: You can present a petition in the Chamber, before the Adjournment debate (the half-hour debate at the end of the day). You must let the Journal Office know you want to do this by the time the House finishes on the previous sitting day. A sitting day is a day when the House is meeting. The title of the petition will appear in the Order Paper. You will have a chance to speak briefly about the petition in the Chamber.
- Informal: You can put a petition into the petitions bag behind the Speaker’s Chair at any time when the House is meeting. There is no need to give notice. You won’t have a chance to speak about the petition. Ministers can’t present petitions formally, but can present them informally.
In both cases, the petition will be printed in Hansard and will receive a written response from the Government.