The purpose of the draft Respiratory Care Action Plan is to highlight the Scottish Government’s... More
Closed 3 July 2020
The number of non-surgical cosmetic treatments carried out across Scotland and the UK has risen... More
Closed 30 June 2020
The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets)(Scotland) Act 2019 recently passed by the... More
Closed 30 June 2020
Here are some of the issues we have consulted on and their outcomes. See all outcomes
We sought your views on a proposal to postpone the determination of the period of the bathing season for 2020 and of the designation of any bathing waters, in light of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, and to keep the matter under review throughout the summer months in line with the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 framework for decision making.
The consultation received 551 responses. 36 were from organisations and 515 from individuals.
60 responders agreed to the proposal to postpone the 2020 bathing water season and keep it under review over the summer in line with the Scottish Government COVID-19. 23 of these were organisations including key public bodies such as local authorities and regional NHS Boards, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and other relevant public bodies. 37 responders who agreed were individuals.
Objections to the proposal were received from 491 responders. 13 of these were from organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society, Surfers Against Sewage, sailing and water sports clubs and associations, and two community councils. 478 responders who disagreed were individuals.
Scottish Ministers have considered the responses to the consultation. In light of the on-going pandemic, particular recognition was given to the responses from local authorities, regional NHS Boards, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and other relevant public bodies.
Scottish Ministers have determined that the bathing water season will be postponed and bathing waters will not be designated during Phase 1 of lockdown easing. This decision will be kept under review throughout the summer of 2020 in line with the Scottish Government’s phased approach to easing lockdown restrictions as set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Framework for Decision Making and associated guidance.
It should be understood that postponing the bathing season does not imply that beaches are closed. They remain open for local individuals to enjoy in line with the above-noted Regulations and guidance.
We sought your views on the proposal for the Scottish Government to seek the Parliament’s approval to extend the duration of part 2 order making powers in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 for a further 5 year period from June 2020 to June 2025.
You provided us with 15 responses to the question in our consultation. The responses came in from 10 organisations and 5 individuals.
With regard to the proposal to seek Parliaments approval to extend the part 2 order making powers for a further 5 years, our analysis of the responses found that 12 were in agreement, 3 advised they were unsure and no objections to the proposal were received.
As the responses received clearly supported the proposal to seek Parliaments approval to extend the order making powers for a further 5 year period we have taken the necessary action to allow Parliament to consider and scrutinise the request to extend the powers.
We asked for views on draft Mainstreaming Equality Outcomes for Social Security Scotland.
We are currently developing our first Equality Strategy to ensure equality is at the centre of all our activities. The consultation sought feedback on five draft outcomes as well as on activities to help achieve each outcome and on ways to measure progress on achieving each outcome.
A public consutlation was held between 7 November 2019 and 6 February 2020 using the Scottish Government's online consultation hub. This was supported by nine events across Scotland. A total of 81 responses were received online and a total of 108 people attended an event. The events were open to the public but places had to be booked in advance. The events gave individuals and stakeholder organisations the opportunity to receive more information about the Equality Outcomes and participate in group discussion.
There was broad consensus in the feedback received and this will be used to rework the outcomes and clarify the approach we will take.
An external company was commissioned to undertake the analysis of the responses made online and at the events. This report presents the findings from the public consultation and the events and explains the methodology that was used to analyse responses.
These findings have been discussed by our Executive Team and Executive Advisory Body. We are re-writing the outcomes and will be more explicit in the ambition we have and how we will measure our progress. We will also establish a Network of critical friends to inform our approach.