Ministers responded to criticism of a perceived lack of parliamentary time for MPs to debate e-petitions by introducing a new, regular slot for such debates in MPs' secondary debating chamber, Westminster Hall, on Mondays.
Although all of the 11 petitions will soon have been debated in either the Commons or Westminster Hall, the first debate prompted by an e-petition was notable for the failure of participating MPs to address directly the e-petitioners' demand for rioters to be stripped of benefits payments.
Since anyone in the press gallery can see the glow of i-phones and i-pads as MPs tweet and e-mail through debates, that last one is more a case of catching up with reality than breaking through into the 21st century.