Consultations
CRC: The Commission for Rural Communities have launched a review of rural proofing and want your views & opinions (by the end of March) on how it should develop or change for the better.
Rural proofing is a government commitment and has been put in place to help ensure that as policy is developed, government departments think about the impacts of their policies on rural areas, people, economies and environment. And then adjust these policies and their implementation to take account of rural circumstances, where this makes sense.
Press release ~ Read their ideas and then tell them what you think ~ IDEA - Rural proofing ~ Rural Health Good Practice Toolkit ~ Mind: Rural proofing the National Service Framework for Mental Health ~ Defra: Rural proofing checklist
NA: The National Archives has issued two draft Operational Selection Policies (OSPs) for public consultation (closes on 10 March 2008):
* One is for government case files relating to competition (OSP 43) and
* the other for OFWAT, the Water Services Regulation Authority, (OSP 47)
The criteria for selecting public records for The National Archives and other archives are defined in the Acquisition and Disposition Strategy, published in March 2007. OSPs apply these criteria to the records of individual departments and agencies or to records relating to a cross-departmental theme. Please send your comments or queries to Elaine Baldwin for OSP 43 and Jeremy Harley for OSP 47.
Press release ~ OSP43: Competition - case files 1950-2008 ~ OSP47: Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT) paper and electronic records 1989-2010 ~ Acquisition and Disposition Strategy
ScotGov: The Scottish Court Service (SCS) is proposing to increase civil court and Public Guardian fees in order to reduce substantially the amount of public subsidy for these services and to try to distribute the subsidy more fairly between the Court of Session, Sheriff Courts and Office of the Public Guardian.
The SCS has launched a consultation (closes May 6, 2008) on its proposed fee increases. Respondents are invited to give views on the proposals for distribution of subsidy, on future inflation increases & on the fairness of the system of fee exemptions. A report on this consultation process will be produced by 23 May 2008.
Press release ~ Review of Fees Charged by the Court of Session, Sheriff Courts, Office of the Public Guardian, Accountant of Court and High Court ~ Scottish Court Service (SCS) ~ Office of the Public Guardian
ScotGov: Patients, carers, NHS staff, charitable and voluntary organisations and the general public are being invited to contribute their views to a consultation (closes 5 May 2008) which will shape Scotland's future cancer strategy.
The discussion will open up for debate issues surrounding prevention, screening, diagnosis & treatment, palliative care, quality of care, patient experience & delivery of services and will also put the spotlight on improving cancer waiting times. The new cancer action plan is due to be published this summer (2008).
Press release ~ Better Cancer Care - A Discussion ~ Improving Cancer Care - Discussion ~ Cancer Care Scotland ~ Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care ~ Cancer In Scotland
ScotGov: Scottish Government officials will host two public meetings to discuss the possible extension of crofting tenure. The meetings form part of the public consultation on proposals to extend crofting tenure to include the islands of Arran and Cumbrae, plus the remaining parts of the Highlands & Islands not currently designated.
The public meetings will take place in the Ben Mhor Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey on February 19 and in Arran High School, Lamlash, Isle of Arran, on March 10. Both events will start at 7pm and are open to the public.
The public meetings will take place in the Ben Mhor Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey on February 19 and in Arran High School, Lamlash, Isle of Arran, on March 10. Both events will start at 7pm and are open to the public.
A consultation exercise is taking place on the proposal to align the crofting counties with the area covered by Highlands and IslandsEnterprise (HIE), which will look at designating as new crofting areas. The results of the consultation should be available for consideration in April 2008.
Press release ~ Committee of Inquiry on Crofting ~ Scotland Rural Development Programme ~ Consultation on Designation of New Areas for Crofting ~ ScotGov – Crofting
ScotGov: Proposals to better protect homes & communities from the threat of flooding have been published for consultation (closes on 23 April 2008) by the Scottish government. The discussion document on the future of flood risk management in Scotland outlines plans to update legislation to help make the process for protecting at-risk areas quicker & simpler. The consultation also includes proposals to reform the Reservoirs Act 1975.
The proposals which will shape the new Flooding Bill are designed to:
* Introduce a more sustainable & modern approach to flood risk management
* Create a more joined up & streamlined process to avoid duplication
* Simplify & speed up the development and implementation of flood defences
Press release ~ The Future of Flood Risk Management in Scotland: A Consultation Document ~ Flooding Prevention Bill ~ EC Floods Directive ~ ScotGov flooding ~ Reservoirs Act 1975 ~ SEPA – Flooding in Scotland
DIUS: Bill Rammell, Minister for Further and Higher Education has announced a consultation (closes on 6 May 2008) on the role of Further Education (FE) colleges in promoting community cohesion, fostering shared values and preventing violent extremism and they mirror the updated guidance issued to Higher Education institutions last month – See ‘In the News’ for more details.
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