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Chapter 7: Responding to the Consultation
This chapter is also available in MS Word format (256k)
7.1 Response form
We are inviting responses to this consultation by 12 February 2008.
It is possible to respond to this consultation online at www.scotland.gov.uk/pvglegislation. Alternatively respondents may remove chapter 7 from the consultation paper itself and send it to:
Susan Robinson
Protection of Vulnerable Groups Implementation Team
Children, Young People and Social Care Directorate
The Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQSpace has been provided in the form for responses to be written. Please feel free to continue your answers/comments on additional pieces of paper. If doing so, please ensure that answers can be clearly associated with the questions.
Background
In analysing your response, it would be help us to know what your background is. Please indicate using the boxes provided below the area which best describes your involvement with vulnerable groups. Feel free to add any further comments in the box provided.
7.3 Scottish Government consultation process
Consultation is an essential and important aspect of Scottish Government working methods. Given the wide-ranging areas of work of the Scottish Government, there are many varied types of consultation. However, in general, Scottish Government 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 Government 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 Government 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 Government website enabling a wider audience to access the paper and submit their responses.
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) are placed in the Scottish Government library at Saughton House, Edinburgh (K Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD, telephone 0131 244 4565).
All Scottish Government consultation papers and related publications (eg, analysis of response reports) can be accessed at: 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.
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