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Review of Marches and Parades in Scotland
2 Summary of recommendations
First element of remit: period of notice
Recommendation 1
- Organisers should give 28 days notice to local authorities and the police of their intention to hold a procession.
Recommendation 2
- In certain circumstances, where processions are arranged in response to unforeseen events, the 28 days notification period should be waived and organisers should be able to give less notice.
Recommendation 3
- All organisers should notify their intention to march to local authorities and the police.
Recommendation 4
- Local authorities and the police should set up 'single gateways' within their organisations to deal with procession notifications.
Recommendation 5
- Local authorities and the police should take certain key steps to assess notifications during the extended notification period.
Recommendation 6
- Local authorities should complete risk assessments and impact analyses on notifications to provide good quality, factually based information to inform the decision making process.
Recommendation 7
- The Scottish Executive should ensure that there are effective monitoring arrangements in place to demonstrate that local authorities and the police are implementing the new procedures in a way appropriate to their local circumstances with a regular public report produced.
Recommendation 8
- Local authority associations and police associations should ensure good practice is shared more widely.
Second element of remit: informing and involving the community
Recommendation 9
- Local authorities should prepare an annual digest of processions with organisers at the beginning of the calendar year, and update it every quarter and ensure the digest is well publicised and accessible.
Recommendation 10
- Local authorities should provide up-to-date information about forthcoming processions to local communities using the most appropriate means.
Recommendation 11
* Local authorities should maintain an 'opt-in' list for organisations to receive information about processions.
Recommendation 12
- Local authorities should establish mechanisms appropriate to their areas to ensure that communities are able to express views on processions.
Recommendation 13
- Local authorities should take into account wider views, including community views, when taking decisions on procession notifications.
Recommendation 14
- Local authorities should put in place clear procedures for considering community views.
Third element of remit: decision making
Recommendation 15
- Local authorities should remain responsible for taking decisions on procession notifications.
Recommendation 16
- Local authorities should be able to take into account a wider range of issues when reaching decisions on notifications. Their decisions should be evidence based and explained to the organisers.
Recommendation 17
- Local authorities should have discretion to impose conditions proportionate to the notification and to address the issues upon which it based its decision.
Recommendation 18
- Local authorities should respect key traditional dates but organisers should be prepared to compromise over routes where necessary.
Recommendation 19
- Organisers should provide a written, signed notification providing the key information required by the local authority.
Recommendation 20
- There should be a precursory meeting following the submission of a signed notification facilitated by the local authority, involving at least the organiser and the police, resulting in a signed outcome agreement.
Recommendation 21
- Once the notification has been considered by the local authority, the authority should issue organisers with a 'permit to process' outlining what had been agreed and what was expected.
Recommendation 22
- Organisers should not be required to pay a fee for a notification to organise a procession.
Recommendation 23
- Debriefing meetings should be held after processions with the organisers, local authority and the police and other relevant groups resulting in a signed record of what occurred.
Fourth element of remit: numbers and effects on communities
Recommendation 24
- Organisers should continue to act responsibly in ensuring processions are organised for appropriate purposes and consider the scope for combining processions on certain occasions.
Recommendation 25
- Local authorities and the police should ensure that they keep statistics on the numbers of processions taking place and the associated policing costs.
Recommendation 26
- As part of their planning process, organisers should consider whether it is necessary to take out public liability insurance.
Recommendation 27
- Local authorities should produce 'How To' guides for organisers of processions.
Recommendation 28
- Local authorities and the police should develop a code of conduct for organisers and participants and this should be set out in the 'permit to process'.
Recommendation 29
- Organisers should ensure that their existing codes of conduct reinforce the behaviour expected of participants in the 'permit to process'.
Recommendation 30
- In certain circumstances, should the risk assessment demonstrate it is necessary, local authorities should be able to require organisers to take out insurance or provide a behaviour bond.
Recommendation 31
- Organisers should recognise the degree of responsibility they have for the behaviour of onlookers and exercise appropriate influence to improve behaviour where they can.
Recommendation 32
- Organisers should ensure that they have effective stewarding arrangements in place for the management of processions, and local authorities and the police consider whether there is appropriate training that can be offered.
Recommendation 33
- Bands playing at processions should identify a named individual who will be present on the day to be responsible for the conduct of the band and its supporters.
Recommendation 34
- The police should exercise their enforcement powers appropriately and, in liaison with stewards, ensure the policing of onlookers is effective and their actions considered as part of the debriefing process.
Recommendation 35
- Local authorities without byelaws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public places should consider putting them in place.
Fifth element of remit: police costs
Recommendation 36
- Organisers of processions should not be required to meet policing costs.
Recommendation 37
- Local authorities should consider relevant police costs when reaching decisions about march notifications.
Recommendation 38
- Police forces should ensure that there is appropriate briefing provided for officers policing processions and that it includes information about the reasons for the procession and the relevant background to the organisation involved.
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