© dpa
The Petitions Committee of the Berlin House of Representatives once again had plenty of work to do last year.
1348 submissions from citizens and groups were received by the committee in 2023, as Chairman Maik Penn (CDU) announced in Parliament on Thursday. In addition, 3953 further letters were received in which people supplemented their petitions or asked for their concerns to be re-examined. There were 290 petitions concerning the right of residence alone. There were also a particularly large number of petitions on social issues (138) and transport issues (128).
At its 18 meetings, the committee finalised 1498 submissions. These included some from the previous year or those that the members dealt with several times. In 32 per cent of cases, the citizens' concerns were fully or partially addressed. In a further 40 per cent, the committee was at least able to provide information. According to Penn, the Petitions Committee was therefore able to help a considerable number of people in 2023.
Citizens can turn to the Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives if they find decisions made by authorities and other institutions of the state of Berlin wrong, inappropriate or incomprehensible or if they take too long. The committee examines the concerns, obtains statements from the authorities concerned and attempts to find solutions.