Petitions of concern.

1 If a petition expressing concern about a matter which is to be voted on by the Assembly is— a presented to the Assembly by 30 members, and b on the day after the consideration period, confirmed by 30 members, the vote on that matter requires cross-community support. 2 If such a petition is presented, the vote on the matter to which it relates may not take place until after the day mentioned in subsection (1)(b). 3 The members presenting or confirming a petition must include— a one member who belongs to a political party and one member who belongs to a different political party, b one member who belongs to a political party and one member who does not belong to a political party and did not belong to a political party when returned as a member of the Assembly, or c two members who do not belong to a political party and did not belong to a political party when returned as members of the Assembly. 4 A matter may not be the subject of a petition if it— a concerns a sanction in relation to the conduct of a Minister or other member of the Assembly; b concerns the vote on the general principles of a Bill referred to in section 13(1)(a); c is a matter specified in standing orders made under subsection (6)(c). 5 A petition under this section may not be presented or confirmed by the Presiding Officer or a deputy Presiding Officer. 6 Standing orders must— a make provision with respect to the procedure to be followed in presenting and confirming a petition under this section (which may include provision specifying a minimum period between the presentation of the petition and the time when the vote on the matter to which it relates would take place if not postponed by the petition); b provide that the matter to which a petition under this section relates may be referred, in accordance with paragraphs 11 and 13 of Strand One of the Belfast Agreement, to the committee established under section 13(3)(a); c specify further matters that may not be the subject of a petition under this section, for the purposes of fully implementing paragraph 2.2.4 of Annex B of Part 2 of The New Decade, New Approach Deal; d make provision for such steps to be taken during the consideration period as may be necessary for the purposes of fully implementing paragraph 2.2.7 of Annex B of Part 2 of The New Decade, New Approach Deal. 7 If the day mentioned in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) is not a working day that paragraph is to be read as referring to the next day that is a working day. 8 In this section— “ the consideration period ” means the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the petition is presented; “ working day ” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a day which is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.