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Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Amendment 79B 79B: After Clause 10, insert the following new Clause— ““Duty to receive and deal with petitions (1) A principal local authority in England (““the authority””) has a duty to receive and deal with petitions it receives from members of the public. (2) The authority may refuse to accept a petition that it considers to be unlawful, vexatious or abusive. (3) The authority must receive and acknowledge each petition it receives and consider its contents according to its own democratic and decision-making procedures including any procedures that allow the petitioners to make representations in person or in writing. (4) The procedures in subsection (3) must include a provision that allows a petition to be presented to a meeting of the Council, or (if it operates executive arrangements) to its executive, or to any committee of the authority. (5) The authority shall make a decision in relation to the contents of each petition it receives (whether to take any action or not to take any action) and must inform the petitioners of its decision and state the reasons for making it. (6) The authority shall place on its website— (a) the wording of each petition it receives and the number of names on it, and (b) the decision it makes on that petition. (7) The authority shall keep a register of all petitions it receives and the decision it makes on each one. (9) In this section ““petition”” means a request in writing that the authority takes a particular action or expresses a particular view, which is signed by more than one identifiable person from more than one household.””