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Civil Partnership Registration: A legal status for committed same-sex couples in Scotland

7 how to make a response to this paper

7.1 We welcome your opinion on any or all of the questions covered by this paper. To help you make a response we have provided a summary of our questions at the end of this paper. It would be helpful if you could complete and return this summary with your comments and views.

7.2 Comments on the specific proposals set out in this paper should be made by 5 December 2003. Earlier responses would be very welcome.

7.3 Please send your comments

By email to civilpartnershipregistration@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

In writing to

Scottish Executive Justice Department
Civil Law Division
2WR
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

Telephone 0131 244 3581

By fax 0131 244 2195

7.4 Comments by e-mail would be preferred. An electronic summary of the questions with a field for your comments can be accessed at the website address below and should be emailed to the above email address. Further copies of this consultation can also be downloaded from this website address: www.scotland.gov.uk

7.5 If you are responding on behalf of an organisation please make that explicit and specify your position within the organisation.

7.6 It is also important for you to indicate if you wish your consultation response to be available to the public within the Executive's library at Saughton House - please tick the appropriate response on the consultation response proforma. Responses from those who reply in confidence will only be included within numerical totals and names and text will not appear in the list of respondents or in any published analysis.

7.7 A summary and analysis of the consultation responses will be produced following their consideration and will be available on the Scottish Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk.

7.8 We invite individuals and organisations to submit views and comments by
5 December 2003.

The Scottish Executive Consultation Process

7.9 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.

7.10 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.

7.11 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 sit enabling a wider audience to access the paper and submit their responses. 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).

7.12 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

7.13 If you have any comment about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the contact details provided above.

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