The Scottish Government

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Covering Letter

Dear Sir / Madam

Consultation on the use of intermediaries for vulnerable witnesses in Scotland

The enclosed consultation paper sets out background information and seeks comments and views on the use of intermediaries as a special measure for vulnerable witnesses in Scotland.

The paper concludes by setting out a number of questions on which we would welcome your responses. These questions are intended to encourage considered views on the possible advantages and disadvantages of various options for the future to address the communication needs of vulnerable witnesses in the context of the current practices and policies of the Scottish justice system.

The views we gather as a result of the whole consultation exercise will be taken into account when recommendations are made to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on how the Scottish Government might wish to proceed in this area.

Consultation

This consultation, and all other Scottish Government consultation exercises, can be viewed online on the consultation web pages of the Scottish Government 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 Government has an email alert system for consultations ( SEconsult : http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/seconsult.aspx ). This system allows individuals, stakeholders and organisations to register and receive a weekly email containing details of all new consultations (including web links). SGconsult complements, but in no way replaces Scottish Government distribution lists, and is designed to allow stakeholders to keep up to date with all Scottish Government consultation activity, and therefore be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most interest. We would encourage you to register.

Handling your response

We need to know how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be made public. Please complete and return the Respondent Information Form enclosed this will ensure that we treat your response appropriately. If you ask for your response not to be published we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

What Happens Next?

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 Government Library within 20 working days of the closing date and on the Scottish Government consultation web pages at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current shortly after. We will check all responses where agreement to publish has been given for any potentially defamatory material before logging them in the library or otherwise publishing them. You can make arrangements to view responses by contacting the Scottish Government library on 0131 244 4565. Responses can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for this service.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to inform the decision of how to proceed next.

Completed information

We are inviting written responses to this consultation paper by 29 January 2008. Please send your completed Respondent Information Form and written response to the Consultation Paper questions to: elaine.martay@scotland.gsi.gov.uk, or if writing:

Elaine Martay

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 future action.

Comments and complaints

If you have any queries or comments about this consultation exercise, please contact, Bill Moore, Head of Witnesses Team, Victims and Witnesses Unit, Scottish Government, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG, or Bill. Moore@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Yours faithfully

BILL MOORE

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