Like many other countries, Scotland has a legal target to reach ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions. The way we heat our homes, workplaces and other buildings is the third-largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland. There is no way to meet our legal obligation to reach ‘net zero’ without changing the heating systems in the vast majority of our buildings.
The purpose of this consultation is to make you aware of our proposal to make new laws around the heating...More
This consultation seeks views on a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS) in Scotland. This new standard will replace the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH2).
The Scottish Government wants all of our homes to be warmer, greener and more efficient, and is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland, no matter their financial situation, has access to good quality housing that they can afford to heat.
The social housing sector has led the...More
Somebody, somewhere is making decisions on your behalf. Democracy Matters conversations have already started to explore whether far more of these decisions could be made by communities themselves. This is a key and connected part of the wider Local Governance Review which is looking across all of Scotland’s vital public services to consider how power and resources should be shared between national and local government.
Read the full discussion document
Read the easy...More
This consultation seeks your views on the Scottish Government’s proposed principles and considerations in developing policy for the future of the water industry in Scotland in response to the climate emergency.
Climate induced events both at home and around the world this summer and autumn are a stark reminder that we are in the middle of a climate crisis – it is not in the future or somewhere on the horizon, it’s happening now.
We are seeing extremes in temperatures...More
Since 2010, Scotland’s industry led Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication scheme has reduced the number of Scottish cattle breeding herds with BVD cases from 40% to 9%. We want to hear your views on our proposals for the next phase of the eradication scheme. Your answers will help to shape the next phase of the scheme and will help bring Scotland closer to BVD eradication.
BVD is one of the most important cattle diseases for economics, productivity and welfare. Eradicating BVD...More
Our Vision for Justice , published in February 2022, and the associated Three Year Delivery Plan , published in November 2023 sets out the Scottish Government’s transformative vision to deliver a just, safe resilient country. Delivering the vision requires fundamental change to the operation of our justice services, ensuring that our processes and laws meet the needs of people now and in the future.
This consultation is a key part of a far-reaching programme of work...More
The Scottish Government is committed to Keeping The Promise to all children and young people. This includes ensuring that all children and young people with care experience are provided with person-centred support to assist positive transitions from care to adulthood and more independent living.
Many young people with care experience do not have the same informal support network that other young people have during transition points in their lives. It is proposed that the Care Leaver...More
We want to hear your views on the draft National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland.
People are invited to share their experiences of the eating disorder care and treatment they have received. However, we understand that sometimes it can be hard to talk or write about these experiences, whether your own or someone else’s.
It is up to you to decide what questions you want to answer during the consultation. There is no need to...More
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views from individuals and companies including Professional Operators (seed merchants, seed processors, seed packers), Licensed Crop Inspectors, Licensed Seed Samplers, Licensed Seed Testing Stations (LSTS), farmers and interested members of the public on the Scottish Government's proposal to:
Introduce secondary legislation that will permit and regulate the production and marketing of plant reproductive material of an organic and...More
The Scottish Government committed to a policy review of Scotland’s statutory debt solutions with the aim of further enhancing and improving our system.
Part of this review was undertaken by stakeholder-led working groups which recommended the introduction of a Mental Health Moratorium in Scotland. They recognised the benefits in establishing a specific tool which ensures people struggling with mental health and finances have access to breathing space and respite. ...More
The Scottish Government has committed to replacing Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) with Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) on a like-for-like basis. Given the significant number of clients who will be transferred to Social Security Scotland with this benefit and the need to ensure a safe and secure transition, the focus of this consultation is around gathering evidence on people’s views of the current benefit and considering how we could improve the system already in place.
...More
In Scotland, a Ministerial Working Group was set up following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017, to review building and fire safety regulatory frameworks. The Group commissioned two reviews of building standards; one to cover compliance and enforcement and the other fire safety. The Review Panel on Building Standards Compliance and Enforcement identified the need for improving aspects of the building standards system (covering procedural compliance, built compliance and enforcement...More
Minor amendments are needed within the Road Works (Qualifications of Operative and Supervisors (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and a replacement Stautory Instrument is required to replace the Scottish Road Works Register (Prescribed Fees) Regulations 2022. This consultation seeks views on both proposed changes.
Scottish Road Works Register (Prescribed Fees) Regulations:
The proposal is to revoke the 2022 Regulations, and create new Regulations to account for the running costs of ...More
Scotland’s sea fish quotas are a national asset, and this consultation seeks your views on how the Scottish Government should allocate a portion of this national asset – what is termed Additional Quota (“AQ”).
Scotland has AQ following the implementation of the Trade & Co-Operation agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU after the UK left the EU on 1 January 2021.
The Scottish Government’s Future of Fisheries Management (FFM) body of work , sets out an intention to...More
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is a Non-Departmental Public Body, set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 , with statutory public protection functions to regulate social service workers and to promote their education and training. They protect the public by registering over 160,000 social work, social care and early years workers (as of April 2023); setting standards for their practice, conduct, training and education and by supporting their...More
Housing to 2040 , Scotland’s first long-term national housing strategy, reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to review the Housing for Varying Needs design guide. It also contained a commitment to develop and introduce an all-tenure Scottish Accessible Homes Standard, which will be implemented through changes to building standards and guidance from 2025-26.
This consultation sets out proposed updates to Part 1 of the Housing for Varying Needs design guide...More
Background
In March 2022 the Scottish Government announced that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) would be replaced with a new qualifications body. It also announced its intention to establish a new independent inspectorate whilst also needing to understand how best to align education inspection with the wider inspection system.
These two announcements followed on from recommendations made by the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) June 2021 report on...More
We want to hear your views on a revised Code of Practice for constables in Scotland when they are searching people, premises or vehicles for cash, listed assets or cryptoasset-related items which may have been obtained through unlawful conduct or be intended for use in unalwful conduct.
The Code replaces an existing Code on searches for cash and listed assets and has been expanded to include searches for cryptoasset-related items to take account of amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act...More
We want to hear your views on the revised Code of Practice for Proper Persons in Scotland in relation to the exercise of powers to execute warrants and orders conferred by Chapter 3 of Part 8 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA).
The Code replaces an existing Code and is being revised to take account of amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) made by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. and your responses will help us ensure that the guidance to Proper...More
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views from interested parties who export low-risk fruit, vegetables and cut flowers to join the Plant Health Audited Trader Scheme (PHEATS) which has been operational in England and Wales.
PHEATS is a voluntary exports scheme for the movement of low-risk fruit, vegetables and cut flowers to the EU and Northern Ireland. Official phytosanitary inspections will be carried out by an authorised person(s) to ensure that any consignments...More
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This consultation is seeking views on a range of topics and proposals related to biodiversity and tackling the nature emergency in Scotland.
It covers three parts of the Biodiversity Strategic Framework:
The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy which sets out our vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss;
The first five-year Delivery Plan which contains the actions to deliver the vision; and
The proposed Natural Environment Bill which will...More
Digital connectivity is changing the way we work, do business and deliver public services. We want to ensure that new build homes are built with future proofed connectivity. To support this ambition the proposals outlined in this consultation will amend building standards with a consistent approach requiring developers to ensure that:
all new build homes are installed with the gigabit-ready physical infrastructure necessary for gigabit-capable connections
a...More
The Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture , published in March 2022, outlines our long term vision to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. As outlined in the Agricultural Reform Route Map , the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that tenant farmers, smallholders, crofters, new entrants and land managers are effectively enabled to exercise their essential role in making our...More
Independent hospitals have been regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) since 1 April 2011 and from 1 April 2016, independent clinics where services are provided by a medical practitioner, dental practitioner, registered nurse, registered midwife or dental care professional have also been regulated by HIS.
Following a consultation in early 2023 on various aspects of the regulation of independent healthcare services, we intend to amend current regulations in order...More
This consultation seeks views on draft statutory guidance on the delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood education in Scottish schools.
The draft guidance is an update to guidance originally published in 2014 .
Work to embed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive education across the curriculum and to review the delivery of Personal and Social Education (PSE) both recommended the existing guidance be updated.
...More
In 2012, the Scottish Parliament passed the Alcoho l ( M inimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 (the 2012 Act) which allowed Scottish Ministers to introduce a system of minimum unit pricing for alcohol. Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) was first implemented on 1 May 2018, with the minimum price of alcohol set at 50 pence per unit (ppu). MUP was introduced to mitigate the significant health harms caused by alcohol consumption in Scotland. ...More
Background
The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 (‘the 2016 Act’) received Royal Assent in April 2016. It provides a modern, comprehensive legislative framework for burial and cremation in Scotland. Many of the 2016 Act’s provisions are rooted in recommendations made by the Infant Cremation Commission , the National Cremation Investigation and the Burial and Cremation Review Group .
The 2016 Act gives Scottish Ministers the power to, amongst other things,...More
Background
The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 (‘the 2016 Act’) received Royal Assent in April 2016. It provides a modern, comprehensive legislative framework for burial and cremation in Scotland. Many of the 2016 Act’s provisions are rooted in recommendations made by the Infant Cremation Commission , the National Cremation Investigation and the Burial and Cremation Review Group .
The 2016 Act gives Scottish Ministers the power to, amongst other things,...More
Our aim is to modernise the legislation governing burial in Scotland by using the regulation making powers set out in the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 ('the 2016 Act').
The consultation paper sets out a range of proposals and approaches with the aim of clarifying and streamlining existing burial practices as well as introducing new provisions. In particular, we invite views on the following areas:
commencement of Part 1 of the 2016 Act, ...More
The Scottish Government wants to ensure that all those who have died are treated with the utmost dignity and respect. Death, burial, cremation and related topics are very emotive subjects. There are also ethical, faith, social and cultural dimensions to caring for the deceased. This consultation seeks to balance clarity of language around the alkaline hydrolysis process with the objective of ensuring that the subject matter is treated with care, respect and sensitivity.
While developing...More