COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (261) issued by The Government News Network
on 27 December 2007
Communities
Secretary Hazel Blears today launched radical proposals to make
people's voices heard on the key issues they care most about,
such as tackling anti-social behaviour, helping older people or
improving local parks.
Under these proposals, councils would be required to respond to
petitions submitted by local people, which could be on any issue
for which the local council has responsibility, from abandoned
vehicles to youth services.
Currently there is no requirement for councils to respond to
petitions, no matter how many people sign up. But under these
proposals, councils would be legally required to respond to any
petition gaining significant local support.
Under the proposed new measures if the council ignores the
petition or the response is unsatisfactory, they could ask their
local councillor to trigger a 'select committee' style
hearing within the local authority to ensure that an issue
affecting the people living or working in his or her ward is
raised and debated, under the new "councillor call for
action", which Parliament recently passed.
Adding the duty on local councils to respond to petitions to the
call for action will give people an additional, direct route to
ensuring that their concerns and ideas are considered properly by
those who have the power to do something about them.
Petitions already have legal teeth in Germany, the United States,
Canada, Sweden, Italy and New Zealand and a recent survey found
only two countries in Europe were found to sign petitions more
than Britons. If approved, the plans could come into force from as
early as next year, or later if legislation is required.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:
"We have a rich history of writing and signing petitions: 60
per cent of us do so each year, but do we have a rich enough
history of answering and responding to them? These new powers
would mean the concerns of local people can no longer be filed
away and ignored, and ensure we have a more responsive culture.
"Governments are elected to serve the people, and that
applies locally as well as nationally. New petition powers would
put more influence, power and control in the hands of communities,
leading to greater action to tackle their concerns and improving
the health of our local democracy.
"Giving local people a greater say is not a threat to local
government's legitimacy - good councils actually do this
already. Listening to the concerns and priorities of the people
who use local services can only strengthen our local democracy."
Notes to Editors:
1. Submissions to the consultation on
petition powers are invited before 20 March, 2008. Details can be
found at:
http://213.225.135.21:8080/publications/localgovernment/petitionscalls
2. The petition powers duty follows the recently signed concordat
which makes clear that "both local and central government
have the responsibility to 'devolve power and engage and
empower communities and individual citizens - in debate and
decision making and in shaping and delivering services."
News Releases: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news
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