[Toucan]

I quite like the system Hong Kong has:

http://www.gov.hk/en/about/govdirectory/govstructure.htm

"The Legislative Council is the law-making body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It comprises 70 members, with 35 elected directly by geographical constituencies and 35 elected by functional, occupation-based constituencies. Apart from its law-making function, the Legislative Council debates issues of public interest, examines and approves budgets, receives and debates the Chief Executive's policy addresses, and endorses the appointment and removal of the judges of the Court of Final Appeal and the Chief Judge of the High Court."

So their legislature is 50% industry experts. The Executive Council can be made up of experts as well, but it doesn't have to be.

Take education as an example. The Secretary for Education is a businessman, however there is an educator in the legislature, the Voluntary Chief Executive (Development), Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union.

[keithpeter]

"Take education as an example."

Graham Stuart and the cross party Education Committee have managed to head off some of Gove's more ridiculous proposals.

Could we not find some MPs who have some idea of how the Web works to sit on an appropriate cross-party committee?

Your proposals, while interesting, have absolutely no chance of happening on any timescale that is relevant.

[timthorn]

Graham Stuart was also involved in education prior to entering Parliament, albeit as a Governor.

[keithpeter]

And it shows. That was the point I was trying to make. There must be a few MPs who actually know enough about the Web to form a cross party committee within the system as it is. Surely?

[timthorn]

There's the Science & Technology Select Committee, with at least some of the membership who have an industrial background. And Julian Huppert is on the Home Affairs Select Committee, which is perhaps more pertinent for this - he's a research scientist, but has been very active in campaigning on web issues.

[alan_cx]

Sounds reasonable. But I think I would have to know a hell of a lot more about it and how it works in practice.

Who set that up anyway? HK used to be British run. Don't tell me we gave them a better government than we have !!!!!