DirectgovKids

Petition Mission

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an MP? In the Petition Mission activity, you'll find out! You'll learn about the role of an MP and the jobs of other people who work inside the Houses of Parliament. You'll also find out about the Houses of Parliament building and some of the important rooms there.

Definitions

  • Houses of Parliament: The building in London where the British Parliament meets. It is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
  • Member of Parliament (MP): Someone chosen or elected to represent an area of the country in the British Parliament.
  • General Election: At a general election, all MPs stand for re-election and every constituency across the country chooses between the available candidates. General elections usually happen every four to five years.
  • Parliament: The group of people that make a country’s laws, usually chosen by the people of that country in an election.
  • The House of Commons: The place in London where Members of Parliament meet. It is located in the Houses of Parliament. There are 646 MPs in the House of Commons, one for each part of the country. MPs in the House of Commons talk about and vote on new laws or what to spend money on in our country.
  • The House of Lords: The House of Lords is also located in the Houses of Parliament. It is made up of nearly 700 members that have been made members for life by the prime minister or have inherited their membership. The House of Lords checks on the work of the House of Commons, talks about new laws that have been suggested by the House of Commons and can block or veto a law if they don’t agree with it.
  • Petition: A request for something, signed by people who agree with the request.

Petition Mission

Have you ever thought that something in your school or local area could be improved or changed to make it better for everyone? You could take your ideas to your school council representative. He or she would then discuss your idea at the next meeting. There, the school council members would try to find ways of making your idea happen.This is how the government works too. People can send their ideas to their MP. Often this takes the form of a petition. A petition is a request for something, signed by everyone who agrees with that request.

Think about some issues in your area and how you might be able to resolve them. Would they make a good petition? Here are some example petition ideas:

Road Safety

The crossing outside your school is on a busy road. A lollipop man or lady helps you cross when you are going to and from school, but the crossing is not supervised during holidays and lots of children use it to go to the park next to the school. You think that new signs, flags or lights would make it safer for everyone and you ask other children in your class who agree with you. How would you present this to your local MP?

Recycling

Your local council has recently started collecting glass bottles and paper for recycling. They have provided every house with a large tub to put these items in and they empty the tubs every two weeks. You think that it would be good to collect other things like cardboard, garden waste such as leaves and grass cuttings, milk containers and other plastic bottles in the same way. What can you do about this? Would a petition help and who could help you to organise this?

Pets

You want to learn more about animals and think that keeping a class pet would be a good way to learn about caring for their needs. You will need to think carefully about all of the issues surrounding keeping a pet in school. Does your school have rules about this already? Write a list of all the reasons why keeping a pet would be a good thing but consider also all of its needs and list how you will meet these. What could you do next?

The Houses of Parliament

Imagine you have thought about your petition topic, asked other people to think about it and collected lots of signatures from people who agree with you. What happens next?

Most MPs have offices located within their constituency where you can make an appointment to see them. You can visit your MP at the Houses of Parliament and present your petition to them there. The Houses of Parliament has a number of important rooms where MPs work on a day to day basis, carrying out their duties and making decisions. Some of these rooms are:

Westminster Hall

Westminster Hall is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster. In the Middle Ages it was the centre of London life, full of shops and stalls. Today it is still used for important events such as the queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

St Stephen's Hall

St. Stephen's Hall is the main entrance to the Houses of Parliament. It stands on the site of St. Stephen's Chapel, which is where the Houses of Commons used to be in the Middle Ages.

Central Lobby

The Central Lobby is the centre of the House of Commons. The House of Commons is to the north and the House of Lords is to the south.

Members' Lobby

The Members' Lobby is the entrance to the House of Commons. MPs meet here to talk about issues and debates. When the House of Commons is voting, strangers are not allowed in the Member's Lobby.

House of Commons

The House of Commons is the most important building in the Houses of Parliament. It is where MPs sit during debates. Sometimes MPs spill out into the Member's Lobby, as there are 646 MPs and only 427 seats.

Peers' Lobby

The Peers' Lobby is next to the House of Lords Chamber. When the House of Lords is sitting, it is the place where members meet and discuss upcoming business.

House of Lords

The House of Lords has a throne at one end of the Chamber where the Queen sits when she speaks to Members from both Houses at the State Opening of Parliament. The Speaker sits on a Woolsack rather than in a chair and there is seating for only about 250 members at one time.

Your Petition

If your MP likes your petition, he or she may present it to the House of Commons as a bill. If the other MPs agree with your idea, they will pass it on to the House of Lords. There the Lords will discuss and debate the bill. If the Lords want to change your bill, they will pass it back to the Commons. Then your bill will go backwards and forwards between the two Houses until an agreement has been reached. If both Houses pass the bill, the Queen will give her Royal Assent. The bill will then be a law. Your idea will have become an Act of Parliament!

Role Play

Thinking of things to improve or change is just the first step. You need to think carefully about the effects your idea will have on other people. You should present your thoughts clearly, making sure that other people understand what you are trying to achieve.

You might like to pretend to be MPs and discuss some local issues. Imagine that you are about to introduce a bill in the House of Commons! Why not consider one of the following issues?

  • a local park which is full of grafitti and rubbish
  • young people hanging around the local shops
  • dog owners who are not cleaning up the mess left behind by their dogs when they visit the park
  • local traffic speeding past your school

Remember, if you are an MP, you need to consider how everyone in the community will be affected by your ideas.

Key Questions

Finally, think about the following questions:

  • What colour are the benches in the House of Commons?
  • What could be found in Westminster Hall in the Middle Ages?
  • How many seats are there in the House of Commons?

Where would you like to go next?