Supplementary
19Powers of appropriate national authority
(1)The appropriate national authority may by order make provision as to what a petition scheme must or must not contain.
(2)The appropriate national authority may give guidance to one or more principal local authorities in relation to the discharge of their functions under this Chapter.
(3)Provision in an order under subsection (1) or guidance under subsection (2) may relate in particular, in the case of a petition scheme, to—
(a)the number to be specified pursuant to section 12(2), 15(4) or 16(3),
(b)the period to be specified pursuant to section 13(2) or 14(8), or
(c)the officers to be specified pursuant to section 16(4).
(4)Guidance under subsection (2) may include a model petition scheme.
(5)A principal local authority may for the purpose of the discharge of its duties under this Chapter, adopt, with or without modification, the provisions of a model petition scheme under subsection (4).
(6)The appropriate national authority may direct a principal local authority to make such revisions to its petition scheme as may be specified in the direction (and subsection (4) of section 11 applies in relation to any petition scheme revised under this subsection).
(7)The powers conferred by this section are subject to the requirements of this Chapter.
20Handling of petitions by other bodies
(1)The appropriate national authority may by order make provision for the handling of petitions by any body to which this section applies.
(2)The bodies to which this section applies are—
(a)a parish council in England;
(b)a community council in Wales;
(c)the Greater London Authority;
(d)the London Development Agency;
(e)Transport for London;
(f)an Integrated Transport Authority;
(g)an economic prosperity board established under section 88 or a combined authority established under section 103;
(h)a National Park authority;
(i)any body specified in section 21(1)(f) to (n) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (c. 42).
(3)An order under this section may be made in relation to—
(a)one or more specified bodies to which this section applies, or
(b)bodies to which this section applies of a particular description.
(4)The provision which may be made by an order under this section includes provision applying, with or without modification, any provision made under this Chapter in relation to the handling of petitions by principal local authorities.