Public Petitions Committee, 06 Jun 2002
Meeting date: Thursday, June 6, 2002
Official Report
279KB pdf
Electronic Petitions
The paper on electronic petitions describes the system as it operates through the partnership arrangement that we have with Napier University's international teledemocracy centre, whose e-petitioner system facilitates electronic petitioning in the Scottish Parliament. The paper points out that ours is the only committee of any Parliament in the world that has a system whereby it can accept electronic petitions and that other petitions committees are following our progress.
The suggestion is that we move to the next stage by trying to bring the system in-house as part of the Scottish Parliament's website. However, that involves technical issues that we will be unable to resolve until we move into the new building at Holyrood. Therefore, we need an interim solution, the key to which is the proposal, outlined in paragraph 8, that the international teledemocracy centre should, for a period, take all the actions that would allow us to begin the process of integrating the e-petitioner system into the Scottish Parliament's procedures. There would be a one-off charge of £25,000 plus VAT. To get funding for that, we have to apply to the civic participation fund, as the move will widen civic participation in the Parliament. It is recommended therefore that we make that bid to cover the cost of the one-year contract. The conveners group will consider the next round of bids on 18 June. Bids must be submitted by 7 June.
Do we agree that a bid be made on the grounds that I have outlined?
Members indicated agreement.
Can I just clarify that Napier University will do the work and will benefit from the money?
That is correct.
I have no problem with the proposal, in that case.