Website for "supine parliament"

29 July 2011 Last updated at 17:14 GMT Douglas Carswell is an MP who believes in direct democracy If you are nursing a burning question that you would like aired at Westminster, now's your chance.

All you have to do is bung it on a new 'e-petition' website.

There's just one snag; you need to get 100,000 signatures.

Needless to say, one of the first ideas being floated on the internet was to bring back hanging.

Good opportunity

"That's no bad thing," Douglas Carswell, MP, tells me.

"As someone who is very much against the death penalty - we sneer at people who want it.

"Now we could be forced to explain why we can't have the death penalty in a civilised society.

"We should have to make the case - I haven't heard it made for 20 to 30 years.

"It's a good opportunity," says the Conservative member for Clacton, who is a keen advocate of direct democracy.

Support required

The new online petition website, run by DirectGov, has replaced the former Downing Street online page.

Should any of the ideas garner enough support, it will then be up to the Commons backbench business committee to give it parliamentary time.

"Parliament is supine and spineless but the only reason it's getting off its backside and MPs are doing their jobs is because of scrutiny.

"These debates would take them out of their comfort zones. We should explain what we can't do as well as what we can."

The rest is up to you...

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Guide to the Scottish Parliament

A tour of the Scottish Parliament

The campaign for devolution in Scotland culminated in 1999, with the establishment of a Scottish Parliament.

In the three centuries since the Treaty of Union, discontent - to put it mildly - was expressed at being governed from London.

The Scotland Act of 1998 paved the way for the creation of a Scottish Parliament capable of passing laws affecting Scotland on a range of issues, known as devolved matters.

The powers given to the Parliament include the ability to raise or lower the basic rate of income tax by up to three pence in the pound - an option unused so far by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

Distinct

The Scottish Parliament scrutinises and monitors the devolved Scottish Government and makes laws for Scotland.

Although government ministers are drawn from the Parliament, the two institutions are legally separate and have their own distinct roles.

The Scottish Parliament's devolved powers are not supreme and ultimately are only granted at the discretion of the Westminster Parliament. Some areas remain the preserve of the UK Parliament - and Scotland remains part of the UK.

Nevertheless, decisions over vital areas like health, education and housing are now made in Scotland.

Devolution was intended to bring a new politics to Scotland.

By relocating decision-making closer to the people of Scotland, the aim was to increase access to the democratic process and as a result, raise the accountability of those elected to the Parliament.

Has devolution succeeded? That remains a matter of opinion - and the subject of fierce debate.

Even the Parliament building at Holyrood has proved controversial . It cost more than ?400m and was delivered three years late.

Scottish Liberal Democrats (5)

One of the Parliament's exterior walls bears 24 carved inscriptions , including one from Sir Walter Scott's Heart of Midlothian. It reads:

"When we had a king, and a chancellor, and parliament-men o' our ain, we could aye peeble them wi' stanes when they werena gude bairns."

Scott's words serve as a reminder to MSPs that they are firmly back in the heartland of Scotland, surrounded by their electorate, the people of Scotland.

Find out how and when you can visit the Scottish Parliament by going to its website.

The Scottish Parliament sat for the first time on 12 May 1999 and was opened officially opened on 1 July 1999Members of the Scottish Parliament are called MSPsThere are 129 MSPs, elected by mixed member proportional representationThe Parliament meets in full under the chairmanship of its Presiding Officer
The Scottish Parliament makes laws for Scotland and scrutinises and monitors the devolved Scottish Government73 MSPs are directly elected from single constituencies56 MSPs are elected from eight multi-member Scottish regional areasIt has the power to alter the basic rate of income tax by up to three pence

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