Public petitions could decide debates in the assembly

Petitions committee chairman Mike Hedges receives a petition on rail services in rural Wales

Petitions carrying thousands of signatures which are handed into the Welsh Assembly could lead to debates in the Senedd chamber under a new plan.

It is being looked at by an assembly committee and would bring the Senedd in line with the House of Commons.

Petitions at Westminster of more than 100,000 names are automatically considered for debate but the figure is expected to be lower in Wales.

Supporters said the move would enhance democracy and liven up the chamber.

A threshold for the number of signatures required is yet to be agreed by the assembly's petitions committee, which is expected to make a recommendation in three weeks.

The proposal has the support of all four members of the cross-party committee.

'Great idea'

Plaid AM Neil McEvoy, who is a member of the committee, said: "I think it's a great idea.

"The assembly already has a petitions committee but anything we can do to make sure this government has to face up to the consequences of its decisions is very welcome.

"A new route to the floor of the Senedd for voters can only enhance our democracy."

An assembly report in February had recommended the committee brings in an automatic system where petitions are considered for debate after a certain number of people have signed it.

The report suggested a threshold of 10,000, saying a much lower figure than 100,000 was required "to reflect the smaller population of Wales".

But one source suggested that the threshold could be closer to 5,000.

Westminster debates that have resulted from petitions have included calls for Donald Trump, the US Republican presidential nominee, to be barred from travelling to the UK.

'Livening up'

UKIP AM Gareth Bennett said plenary - the formal term used to describe debates and other sessions in the Senedd - "needs a bit of livening up".

"We already seem to be debating a lot of the same things even though we have been here for five months," Mr Bennett, who is also a committee member, said.

The Conservative representative, Janet Finch-Saunders, said it was an "exciting addition that could invigorate the process".

Chairman of the committee, Labour's Mike Hedges, added: "It is a proposal that I personally support in principle.

"The committee is looking at how feasible it is and what number of signatures it should be."

Currently the committee considers petitions of ten or more names. Petitions cannot ask the assembly to do anything which is not within its power.

AMs on the committee have a range of actions at their disposal, including seeking information from the Welsh Government and carry out inquiries.

The assembly's business committee of senior AMs will make the final decision on whether to go ahead with the plan.