Call to allow tweeting in Commons

Rules governing Commons microblogging have been confused since deputy Speaker told MPs not to use Twitter to update followers from house Smartphones and iPads should be allowed into the chamber of the House of Commons, a committee report proposing to overthrow the ban on Twitter in parliament has said. The procedures committee has ruled that MPs should be allowed to use such electronic devices during parliamentary debates provided they are on silent and “used in a way that does not impair decorum” The new rules would also allow them to refer to electronic devices rather than paper notes when making speeches. The committee recommended keeping a ban on laptop computers or devices larger than A4 paper because of a lack of space in the crowded chamber. The committee chair Greg Knight, the MP for East Yorkshire, said the group had taken a “common sense approach” to modern technology that would stop MPs feeling obliged to miss chamber debates in order to catch up with vital emails. “In the modern age, it’s easy for your inbox to fill up but … [this measure] allows MPs to attend a debate and still keep an eye on their inbox as long as it doesn’t impair decorum. “At the moment, we have the odd situation where we can have a wad of notes an inch thick but, if you have your notes on an iPad, you can’t refer to them. We have to acknowledge the need for change.” But the debate has split MPs, with some warning that the changes could undermine the principle of parliamentary debate. The Conservative MP for North Wiltshire, James Gray, voted against the report, saying the changes could lead to a “worrying change in the atmosphere” in parliament. “The excessive use of any [electronic] device … could become an epidemic which would both be very unattractive to those observing our proceedings and also diminish the power of our debates,” he said. “MPs should be in the chamber of the House of Commons and in committee to listen carefully to arguments advanced by colleagues and be ready to intervene or reply in their own speeches.” Rules governing Commons microblogging have been confused since the deputy Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, told MPs in January not to use Twitter to update their followers from the house. In its final report, the committee acknowledged that there were potential disadvantages to the changes if they were used inappropriately by lobbyists to influence members in the chamber. Knight also said there was a risk of embarrassment if MPs failed to act with discretion, adding: “Rightly, there would be an outcry if, whilst a minister was announcing deaths in Afghanistan, someone was tweeting about their holidays … but we are relying on the good sense of members. To pretend this [technology] doesn’t exist would just be backwards.” The report said 225 MPs now tweet, and the committee had received a large volume of correspondence during its consultation. The Commons will have to decide whether to accept the recommendations in a vote, which is expected to take place in the next eight weeks. If accepted, the changes proposed by the committee will be given a one-year trial. Twitter Internet House of Commons Rowenna Davis guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 24, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.