Use of public rooms
13.—(1) The petition officer may use, free of charge, for the purposes of enabling persons to sign the petition—
(a)a room in a school to which this regulation applies;
(b)a room the expense of maintaining which is payable out of any rate.
(2) The petition officer must make good any damage done to, and defray any expense incurred by, the persons having control over any such room by reason of it being used for those purposes.
(3) This regulation applies—
(a)in England and Wales, to a school maintained or assisted by a local authority, or a school in respect of which grants are made out of moneys provided by Parliament to the person or body of persons responsible for the management of the school;
(b)in Scotland, to a school, other than an independent school within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980(1);
(c)in Northern Ireland, to a school in receipt of a grant out of moneys appropriated by Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly, other than a school that—
(i)adjoins or is adjacent to any church or other place of worship, or
(ii)is connected with a nunnery or other religious establishment.