Petitions

(1) Every Petition intended to be presented to the House must conclude with a prayer setting forth the general object of the Petition. (2) A Petition shall not be presented to the House unless it shall have been endorsed by the Clerk as being in accordance with the rules in regard to Petitions. (3) The Member presenting a Petition may state concisely the purport of the Petition. (4) All Petitions shall be ordered to lie upon the Table without question put unless a Member when presenting a Petition move for it to be read or printed, or referred to a Select Committee. Any such Motion shall be decided forthwith without amendment or debate. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to a Petition from the promoters of a Private Bill under Standing Order 83 (Private Bills). (5) The House will not receive any Petition– (a) which is not addressed to the House or which is not properly and respectfully worded; or (b) which has not at least one signature on the sheet on which the prayer of the Petition appears and which has not at least the prayer at the head of each subsequent sheet of signatures.