Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

We have highlighted the issues that we think are particularly relevant as a guide, almost. However, there is a point worth discussing further before Report. Amendment 128 provides that, "““a valid petition that is presented to one principal authority may be photocopied for the purpose of presenting the same petition concurrently to another principal authority””." Clause 18(2)(c) already suggests that local authorities may wish to make provision in their petition scheme setting out how they will handle a petition which relates to the functions of another local authority. Whether they will wish to set out photocopying arrangements, I do not know, but it is certainly open to them to do so. In case there is any doubt about the matter, I reassure the noble Lord that there is nothing in this Bill that would make a petition invalid if it were a photocopied document submitted to more than one local authority. I hope that reassures the noble Lord and that he is prepared to withdraw his amendment.