« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Annex A - Scottish Executive Consultation
Process
This consultation, and all other Scottish Executive
consultation exercises, can be viewed online on the
consultation web pages of the Scottish Executive website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations.
You can telephone Freephone 0800 77 1234 to find out where
your nearest public internet access point is.
The Scottish Executive now has an email alert system for
consultations (
SEconsult:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/seconsult.aspx).
This system allows stakeholder individuals and
organisations to register and receive a weekly email
containing details of all new consultations (including web
links).
SEconsult complements, but in no way
replaces
SE distribution lists, and is designed
to allow stakeholders to keep up to date with all
SE consultation activity, and therefore
be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most
interest. We would encourage you to register.
Next steps in the process
Where respondents have given permission for their
response to be made public (
see the attached Respondent
Information Form), these will be made available to the
public in the Scottish Executive Library by 11 October
2005. We will check all responses where agreement to
publish has been given for any potentially defamatory
material before logging them in the library or placing them
on the website. You can make arrangements to view responses
by contacting the
SE Library on 0131 244 4552. Responses
can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for
this service.
What happens next?
Following the closing date, all responses will be
analysed and considered along with any other available
evidence to help us reach a decision on police retention of
prints and samples. We aim to issue a report on this
consultation process by 11 October 2005.
Comments and complaints
If you have any comments about how this consultation
exercise has been conducted, please send them to Vicky
French at the address in the introduction section.
General Information about Scottish Executive
consultations
Consultation is an essential and important aspect of
Scottish Executive working methods. Given the wide-ranging
areas of work of the Scottish Executive, there are many
varied types of consultation. However, in general, Scottish
Executive consultation exercises aim to provide
opportunities for all those who wish to express their
opinions on a proposed area of work to do so in ways which
will inform and enhance that work.
The Scottish Executive encourages consultation that is
thorough, effective and appropriate to the issue under
consideration and the nature of the target audience.
Consultation exercises take account of a wide range of
factors, and no two exercises are likely to be the
same.
Typically Scottish Executive consultations involve a
written paper inviting answers to specific questions or
more general views about the material presented. Written
papers are distributed to organisations and individuals
with an interest in the issue, and they are also placed on
the Scottish Executive web site enabling a wider audience
to access the paper and submit their responses
1. Consultation exercises may also involve seeking
views in a number of different ways, such as through public
meetings, focus groups or questionnaire exercises. Copies
of all the written responses received to a consultation
exercise (except those where the individual or organisation
requested confidentiality (which will also be subject to
any Freedom of Information request)) are placed in the
Scottish Executive library at Saughton House, Edinburgh (K
Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11
3XD, telephone 0131 244 4565).
All Scottish Executive consultation papers and related
publications (
e.g., analysis of response reports) can be
accessed at:
Scottish
Executive consultations (
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations)
The views and suggestions detailed in consultation
responses are analysed and used as part of the decision
making process, along with a range of other available
information and evidence. Depending on the nature of the
consultation exercise the responses received may:
- indicate the need for policy development or
review
- inform the development of a particular policy
- help decisions to be made between alternative
policy proposals
- be used to finalise legislation before it is
implemented
Final decisions on the issues under consideration will
also take account of a range of other factors, including
other available information and research evidence.
While details of particular circumstances
described in a response to a consultation exercise may
usefully inform the policy process, consultation
exercises cannot address individual concerns and
comments, which should be directed to the relevant
public body.
1
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations« Previous | Contents | Next »