12Petitions to which a scheme must apply
(1)This section applies to a petition made to a principal local authority which—
(a)requests the authority to take or cease to take action described in the petition,
(b)is signed by at least the specified number of persons who live, work or study in the authority’s area,
(c)is not a petition made under and in accordance with any other enactment, and
(d)if the petition is in electronic form, is made using the authority’s e-petition facility.
(2)In subsection (1)(b), “specified number” means the number specified for the purposes of this section in the principal local authority’s petition scheme.
(3)For the purposes of this Chapter—
(a)a signature counts if (and only if) the petition gives the signatory’s name and address (which may be an address where the signatory lives, works or studies);
(b)references to signing or signature, in the case of a petition made using a principal local authority’s e-petition facility, are to authentication in such manner as the authority’s petition scheme may specify.