Commons speaker Michael Martin is preventing parliamentary clips being available online.

Footage from the chamber and committee rooms are only available subject to a licence which is issued by the speaker.

Martin will not allow material to be available on web sites such as MySociety and YouTube for fear of manipulation, according to deputy commons leader Helen Goodman.

"The licence stipulates that material must not be hosted on a searchable web site and must not be downloadable," she said.

"The reason for that is to ensure that it is not re-edited or re-used inappropriately for campaigning or satirical purposes."

Goodman was responding to questions from Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, who is campaigning for parliamentary video clips to be shown on YouTube and other web sites.

"There are many ways in which new technology can help parliament to better connect with the public," said Swinson.