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Annex B - The Scottish Executive Consultation
Process
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.
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. Consultation exercises may
involve seeking views in a number of different ways, such
as public meetings, focus groups or questionnaire
exercises.
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 area of consultation, and they are
also placed on the Scottish Executive web site enabling a
wider audience to access the paper and submit their
responses
1. Copies of all the responses received to
consultation exercises (except those where the individual
or organisation requested confidentiality) are placed in
the Scottish Executive library at Saughton House, Edinburgh
(K Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11
3XD, telephone 0131 244 4552).
The views and suggestions detailed in consultation
responses are analysed and used as part of the decision
making process. 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.
If you have any comment about how this consultation
exercise has been conducted, please send them to the name
and address given in the summary section above. The
Scottish Executive now has an email alert system for
SE consultations (
SEconsult). This system allows
stakeholder individuals and organisations to register and
receive a weekly email containing details of all new
SE 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 consultations activity, and therefore
be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most
interest. We would encourage you to register.
1
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations
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