WRITTEN ON May 27th, 2007 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Political engagement

Hooray. Parliament has got a consultation site, plugged into the Select Committee work. First up is Medical Care for the Armed Forces (Defence Committee) and
Local Government and the Draft Climate Change Bill.

It’s taken a while, and it’s a slow start. Ross at Hansard Society points to the journey here, and the breakthrough when MPs themselves moderated this. Parliament is where consultation can make a huge difference (even if a number of MPs Don’t Get It). This should be an essential medium for NGOs. If it’s helpful and unofficious, it could go far.

Meanwhile Steiney reports that Parliament is open to the idea of a petitions service. From the Procedures Committee:

We have also expressed our support in principle for the introduction of an e-petitions system. We aim to come forward with a proposal for a worked-up and practicable system in due course.

In due course??? Just give it single tender to MySoc and it’ll be up and running next week for under £20k with a Creative Commons licence, I reckon. But noooooooo no no, just wait while they ask half a dozen DGI-megacorporations and greedy LLPs to bid and then award it to some firm whose MD is best mates with the Minister’s sister to build on a £multi-m time and materials basis with DRM, copyright and endless legal disclaimers…

Acronym count: 3