The leader of the House has backed plans for the public to be able to petition Parliament.
Harriet Harman announced on Tuesday that she was supporting a report from the Commons procedure committee for an e-petitions website and office to be established.
The system will be based on the model in the Scottish Parliament.
Therefore Harman said that "ministers are agreed that the public should see some results from their petitions".
This could include select committees taking evidence from petitioners and the government also said it recognised "the case for developing the scope for debate in Westminster Hall on petitions".
However the Commons leader also cautioned that petitions will be subject to "checks and filters to ensure a focussed process which recognised the potential impact on the House".
And she warned that it may not be "possible or proportionate for the government to respond to all e-petitions".
Harman said: "The government hopes that the House will endorse this way forward, allowing it to take a significant step forward in helping to promote better engagement with the public."
Topical debates
In a separate written statement Harman also said that she was recommending that the Commons continue with its new practice of holding weekly topical debates.
The minister said the experiment introduced last year had been a success.
And following a review she has decided to put to the House standing order putting the debates on a permanent basis.
Harman also rejected suggestions that the system for deciding the subject of the debate should change.
She said it was right that the holder of her office continue to decide, in consultation with government and Opposition business managers.
Harman said that none of the suggested alternatives would work, with ballots of MPs risking the slot going to an issue which was not "genuinely 'regional, national or international'" or allowing for occasions where the House has had other opportunities to debate it.
A proposal for a business committee to be established was also rejected on the grounds that flexibility is needed in managing time on the floor of the House, while Harman also said she did not want the Speaker to have "questions over his impartiality" raised by asking him to decide.
However Harman did say that the debates may take place on days other than a Thursday in order to ensure a higher level of participation than is sometimes the case.
