Coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery - justice system, health and public services reform: consultation

Consultation on supporting Scotland's recovery from coronavirus.


Chapter 5: Final questions

209. Chapter 1 set out the Scottish Government’s ambitions for Covid recovery. The Government’s specific legislative proposals in Chapters 2 to 4 aim to support those ambitions but the Government is not complacent and wishes to establish if more might be done.

210. As mentioned in Chapter 1, as we emerge from the Covid pandemic we are committed to addressing the underlying inequalities that have been exacerbated by recent events. People have told us they want a Scotland that achieves financial security for all: through good quality work and sustainable employment; that supports health and well-being for young people in particular; that promotes equalities; and that strengthens people’s rights. This final Chapter does not seek views on specific legislative proposals but asks for views on the sort of legislative changes that you believe will help us to achieve the change we are seeking.

211. You may have comments on specific, existing regulation, you may want to suggest improvements to legislation or you may want to suggest new or different approaches to legislation.

212. To help shape the scope of where you focus your attention we have identified three themes highlighted through Stakeholder Roundtables[28] and where we are seeking views; they are (i) sustainable, good and green jobs; (ii) financial security for low income households; and (iii) supporting children’s wellbeing and mental health. In responding please also consider our commitment to a person centred approach to delivering change.

213. In this section of the consultation, where it makes sense to do so, please reflect “in the round” on your proposal - taking into account the needs of the individual, the private, public and third sectors and society as a whole. Acknowledging the tensions between the needs of different actors such as public service providers and businesses in addition to those of individuals and families will provide fuller background on which to base any future proposals.

Question 34:

To support the key three themes for Covid recovery as described, do you have any proposals for legislation which goes beyond or is different to the consultation proposals in Chapters 2 to 4?

Yes

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to which of the three themes are of particular interest to you.

Impact assessments

214. Four impact assessments were published in June 2021 to accompany the introduction of the Bill for the Extension and Expiry Act:

  • Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment[29]
  • Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment[30]
  • Equality Impact Assessment[31]
  • Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment[32]

215. A human rights impact assessment was contained in the Policy Memorandum for the Bill for the Extension and Expiry Act (see paragraphs 23 and 24).

216. The Scottish Government wishes to establish if there are any factors to be considered in the preparation of further impact assessment material for any Bill or Bills following on from this consultation, in terms of the proposals in Chapters 3 and 4 of this consultation that originate in the First or Second Scottish Act and therefore are directly within the impact assessments referred to above.

217. Some proposals in Chapters 2 and 3 of this consultation originate in the UK Act, or are new, and were not within the impact assessments for the Bill for the Extension and Expiry Act.

Questions 35 to 39: Do you have any comments on potential impacts of the proposals in Chapters 2 to 4 of this paper, not sufficiently covered by the previous impact assessments, on:

Question 35: Business and regulatory impact assessment

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Question 36: Child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Question 37: Equality impact assessment

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Question 38: Socio-economic equality impact assessment (the Fairer Scotland Duty)

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

218. The Scottish Government is committed to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights set out in human rights treaties, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, hearing from disabled people, and indeed everyone, who may be affected by the proposals in this paper.

Question 39: Human rights

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

219. The Scottish Government also has an open mind as to whether there is a case for preparing a Data Protection Impact Assessment, an Islands Communities Impact Assessment, or a Strategic Environmental Assessment for any Bill or Bills arising out of from this consultation.

Question 40: Data protection impact assessment

Do you have any comments on potential impacts of the proposals in Chapters 2 to 4 of this paper on data protection and privacy (the handling of personal data)?

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Question 41: Island communities impact assessment

Do you have any comments on potential impacts of the proposals in Chapters 2 to 4 of this paper on people in rural or island communities?

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Question 42: Strategic environmental assessment

Do you have any comments on potential impacts of the proposals in Chapters 2 to 4 of this paper on the environment?

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Financial implications

220. When introducing primary legislation to the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government is required to make best estimates of the administrative, compliance and other costs to which the provisions of legislation would give rise; best estimates of the timescales over which such costs would be expected to arise; and an indication of the margins of uncertainty in such estimates. The Bill for the Extension and Expiry Act was accompanied by a June 2021 Financial Memorandum setting out this information for the measures in that Bill[33]. That Financial Memorandum considers costs on the Scottish Administration, costs on local authorities and costs on other bodies, individuals and businesses.

221. The Scottish Government wishes to establish if there are any factors requiring further consideration in the preparation of the Financial Memorandum for a further Bill or Bills arising out of this consultation. All of the First and Scottish Act measures in Chapter 5, and all but one of the measures in Chapter 4 of this consultation are measures within the Extension and Expiry Act and therefore within the Financial Memorandum referred to. Chapter 3 measures were not within the Financial Memorandum.

Question 43:

Do you have any comments on the financial implications of the proposals in Chapters 2 to 4 of this consultation paper for public bodies, individuals and businesses, having regard to the Financial Memorandum for the Extension and Expiry Bill?

Yes I have comments on potential impacts

No

Unsure

I have no view

If you have selected “Yes” please write your comments below. It would be helpful if you could refer to topics of particular interest to you with their topic codes.

Contact

Email: RecoveryBill@gov.scot

Back to top