Public petition debates delay

Commons debates on petitions which have secured more than 100,000 public signatures have been ruled out until next month, after MPs complained of “problems” with the new system.

The government has pledged that any issue reaching that threshold will be considered for discussion by MPs.

Calls for people convicted of involvement in riots to be stripped of state benefits and one demanding official Hillsborough disaster papers are published have both passed the mark.

But the back-bench business committee was not consulted. Chairwoman Natascha Engel ruled out any swift consideration of the two petitions.