Official responses
When governments must respond to petitions
Short answer
- UK e-petition response
- 10,000 signatures 1
- UK debate consideration
- 100,000 signatures 1
- Canada response deadline
- 45 days after presentation 2
- Canada e-petition threshold
- 500 signatures 2
- EU citizens' initiative
- One million signatories, reply within six months 3
- Scotland
- No minimum number of signatures 4
United Kingdom
E-petitions on petition.parliament.uk stay open for six months 1. At 10,000 signatures the government department responsible for the topic writes a response, published on the petition page with its date 1. At 100,000 signatures the Petitions Committee considers the petition for debate, and such petitions are usually debated. The debate does not end in a vote on the petition's request 1.
The committee may decline to schedule a debate, for example if the issue was debated recently 1. The government is only obliged to respond to petitions started on the official site 1. The Petitions Committee has 11 MPs from government and opposition parties 1.
Canada
Standing Order 36 sets the rules for petitions to the House of Commons 2. A paper petition needs at least 25 signatures from Canadian citizens or residents who are not MPs. An electronic petition needs at least 500 to be certified for presentation 2. E-petitions are open for 30, 60, 90 or 120 days, as the petitioner chooses 2.
Under Standing Order 36(8)(a) every presented petition goes to the ministry, which must respond in electronic format within 45 days 2. If it does not, the failure is deemed referred to the relevant standing committee, whose chair must convene a meeting within five sitting days 2.
European citizens' initiative
Regulation (EU) 2019/788 sets the procedure 3. An initiative needs at least one million signatories from at least one quarter of the member states 3. Signatures are collected within 12 months from a start date the organisers choose 3.
- Within one month of submission, the Commission meets the organisers 3
- Within three months, the European Parliament holds a public hearing 3
- Within six months of publication, the Commission adopts a communication with its legal and political conclusions, the action it intends to take, if any, and its reasons 3
- The Commission gives up-to-date information on follow-up in the register 3
Scotland and the Australian Senate
Any person or organisation can petition the Scottish Parliament, and there is no requirement to reach a set number of signatures 4. Petitioners must say what they have done already, such as contacting an MSP or the Scottish Government 4. The Public Petitions Committee may seek written information from the Scottish Government, refer the petition to another committee, recommend action or ask for a debate 4. Petitioners are told two weeks before the committee considers the petition 4.
In the Australian Senate a petition must be addressed to the Senate and presented by a senator 5. Presented petitions are brought to the notice of the relevant Senate committee, which may seek a reference on the issues or use the petition as evidence 5. The Senate accepts online petitions signed with a name and email address 5.
Side by side
| System | Threshold | Formal reply |
|---|---|---|
| UK Parliament e-petitions | 10,000 for a response, 100,000 for debate 1 | Government department response 1 |
| Canada House of Commons | 25 paper or 500 electronic 2 | Ministry response within 45 days 2 |
| European citizens' initiative | One million from a quarter of states 3 | Commission communication within six months 3 |
| Scottish Parliament | None 4 | Committee may seek Scottish Government views 4 |
| Australian Senate | None stated in the guide | Referred to a Senate committee 5 |
Common questions
How many signatures for a UK government response?
10,000 on petition.parliament.uk 1.
Does a 100,000-signature petition guarantee a debate?
No. It is considered for debate and usually debated, but the committee can decline 1.
How long does the Canadian government have to respond to a petition?
45 days after it is presented in the House 2.
When must the European Commission reply to a citizens' initiative?
Within six months of its publication, after the Parliament's public hearing 3.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@responseofrecord.com.
Sources
- UK Parliament Petitions: How petitions work
- House of Commons of Canada: Chapter 4, Standing Orders (consolidated version as of 27 April 2026)
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European citizens' initiative
- Scottish Parliament: About petitions
- Parliament of Australia: Guides to Senate Procedure No. 7, Petitions (last reviewed June 2025)
Related
- How governments answer written parliamentary questions
Answer deadlines for written parliamentary questions in the UK, Canada, Australia and British Columbia, and what happens when a minister does not reply.
- How governments respond to parliamentary committee reports
Deadlines and forms for government replies to committee reports in the UK, Canada, Australia, India, the EU and the US, from standing orders and laws.
- Responses to ombudsman findings and recommendations
How bodies reply to ombudsman findings in the EU, UK, Scotland and Ireland: comment rights, three-month opinions and special reports to parliament.
- How formal replies are published
Rules on where and how a reply must appear: same prominence, same typeface, no comment, archive links, Command Papers and tabled responses.