{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764250.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":764250,"attributes":{"action":"Grant Legal Personhood Rights to all chalk streams","background":"Chalk streams are globally unique rivers with ~85% of the total located in England. Some councils have recognised the River Test's \"intrinsic rights\", aiming to protect the chalk stream from pollution and obstruction. We ask the Government to grant legal personhood rights to all chalk streams.","additional_details":"Chalk streams are globally unique and significant ecosystems which are rapidly becoming devoid of life due to pollution. Personhood rights for rivers should grant legal standing to waterways, allowing them to be treated as legal entities with rights, such as the right to flow and exist free from pollution, and not merely as property. We believe this movement can help enable guardians to act on behalf of the river to protect its health and ecosystems, and that these rights are needed before the damage is irreversible.","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":37,"closing_date":"2026-10-16","created_at":"2026-03-13T15:46:12.177Z","updated_at":"2026-08-03T04:44:00.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-04-16T13:00:59.745Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-03-13T22:06:20.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":"Matthew Faber","rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"DEFRA","name":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs"}],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[{"name":"Germany","code":"DE","signature_count":1},{"name":"United Kingdom","code":"GB","signature_count":36}],"signatures_by_constituency":[{"name":"Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven","ons_code":"E14001129","mp":"Chris Ward MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Bristol Central","ons_code":"E14001131","mp":"Carla Denyer MP","signature_count":6},{"name":"Bristol North West","ons_code":"E14001134","mp":"Rt Hon Darren Jones MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Carshalton and Wallington","ons_code":"E14001153","mp":"Bobby Dean MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001217","mp":"Danny Kruger MP","signature_count":8},{"name":"Kingswinford and South Staffordshire","ons_code":"E14001316","mp":"Mike Wood MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Mid Sussex","ons_code":"E14001366","mp":"Alison Bennett MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Newton Abbot","ons_code":"E14001381","mp":"Martin Wrigley MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"North Northumberland","ons_code":"E14001397","mp":"David Smith MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Oxford East","ons_code":"E14001419","mp":"Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Ribble Valley","ons_code":"E14001443","mp":"Maya Ellis MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Rochester and Strood","ons_code":"E14001447","mp":"Lauren Edwards MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Scarborough and Whitby","ons_code":"E14001461","mp":"Alison Hume MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Sleaford and North Hykeham","ons_code":"E14001476","mp":"Dr Caroline Johnson MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Stretford and Urmston","ons_code":"E14001528","mp":"Andrew Western MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Sutton and Cheam","ons_code":"E14001534","mp":"Luke Taylor MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Waveney Valley","ons_code":"E14001569","mp":"Adrian Ramsay MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Weald of Kent","ons_code":"E14001570","mp":"Katie Lam MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Wells and Mendip Hills","ons_code":"E14001572","mp":"Tessa Munt MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Welwyn Hatfield","ons_code":"E14001573","mp":"Andrew Lewin MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"West Ham and Beckton","ons_code":"E14001576","mp":"James Asser MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Widnes and Halewood","ons_code":"E14001584","mp":"Derek Twigg MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Winchester","ons_code":"E14001587","mp":"Dr Danny Chambers MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Aberdeen South","ons_code":"S14000061","mp":"Douglas Lumsden MP","signature_count":1}],"signatures_by_region":[{"name":"North East","ons_code":"A","signature_count":1},{"name":"North West","ons_code":"B","signature_count":3},{"name":"Yorkshire and The Humber","ons_code":"D","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Midlands","ons_code":"E","signature_count":1},{"name":"West Midlands","ons_code":"F","signature_count":1},{"name":"East of England","ons_code":"G","signature_count":2},{"name":"London","ons_code":"H","signature_count":3},{"name":"South East","ons_code":"J","signature_count":6},{"name":"South West","ons_code":"K","signature_count":17},{"name":"Scotland","ons_code":"M","signature_count":1}],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}