Stage One: Applying to speak in the House of Campaigns 

The House of Campaigns would be open to the following:  

1. Campaigning organisations that could demonstrate a meaningful level of  support (such as, for example, 5,000+ members/supporters);  

2. Individuals who created a Parliamentary Petition which received 10,000  signatures; and  

3. Groups of local councillors, Police and Crime Commissioners etc.  Such organisations and individuals could use a simple online application form to apply to speak in the House. If a large number of applications were received, the  House of Campaigns Committee (see below) would allocate the available spaces and establish a speaking order. 

The House of Campaigns Committee could actively invite some campaigners to speak in the House.  

Stage Two: Speaking in the House of Campaigns 

The House of Campaigns could meet once a month in a Committee Room in the  Palace of Westminster.  

Each sitting day would consist of four half hour sessions.  

Campaigners who were using the House would become Parliamentarians for the day and would have a half hour session allocated to them. They could use their session as they wished (within reason). Many would wish to make eye-catching presentations that might attract attention to their cause.  

Importantly, having half an hour would allow them to develop their case in some detail. The fact that there would only be four sessions each month would give the speakers a fair chance of attracting media attention.  

Each session would have to conclude with a Request for Action. The Request for  Action would request a specific Government department to take some specific action  (bringing forward legislation etc).  

Stage Three: Follow up 

While the Government would not be obliged to comply with the Request for Action, it would be obliged to provide a detailed response explaining either the action that it did propose to take or why it did not propose to take any action. The Government would also be obliged to send a relevant Minister to meet with the given campaign group.  

The House of Campaigns Committee would supervise the Government’s compliance with its obligations to the House. 

Administration: Who would run the House? 

The House of Campaigns Committee would be made up of volunteer members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They would also be a small number of lay members.  

The House of Campaigns would need a small secretariat to process applications etc.  

The House need not be expensive.