Children (Scotland) Bill: business regulatory impact assessment

Cost and benefits to businesses and the third sector of the Children (Scotland) Bill.


2. Consultation

2.1 In preparing the Bill the Scottish Government’s Family Law Unit which sits within the Civil Law & Legal System Division of the Justice Directorate have worked with:

  • Criminal Law Division
  • Children and Families Directorate
  • Justice Analytical Services
  • Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
  • The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
  • Public Consultation

2.2 The Bill is informed by the outcome of a consultation on the Review of Part 1 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act). The consultation on the 1995 Act and the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy ran between 15 May and 28 September 2018. The Scottish Government produced child friendly questions which were available via SurveyMonkey. The child friendly consultation ran for the same period. The main consultation included a draft BRIA.

2.3 The Scottish Government received approximately 250 responses to the main consultation and 300 to the child friendly questionnaire. The Scottish Government held a number of meetings with a range of stakeholders across the country during the consultation period, including with children and young people.

2.4 The responses have been published where the Scottish Government has permission to do so at the link below:

https://consult.gov.scot/family-law/children-scotland-act/consultation/published_select_respondent

2.5 In addition the Scottish Government has published an analysis report which is available at the link below:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/analysis-consultation-responses-consultation-review-children-scotland-act-1995/

  • Business

2.6 In late 2017 the Scottish Government conducted interviews with representatives from the following organisations to prepare for the draft BRIA which formed part of the consultation on the Review of the 1995 Act:

  • CALM Scotland Mediation
  • Children and Young People’s Commissioner
  • Children 1st
  • Clan Child Law
  • Faculty of Advocates
  • Families need Fathers
  • Family Law Association
  • Grandparents Apart UK
  • Law Society of Scotland
  • Relationships Scotland
  • Scottish Child Law Centre
  • Scottish Legal Aid Board
  • Scottish Women’s Aid
  • Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service

2.7 During the consultation period the Scottish Government met with the following organisations:

  • Abused Men in Scotland
  • Adoption and Fostering Alliance Scotland
  • Canongate Youth Groups
  • Celcis
  • Children’s Parliament
  • Citadel Youth Centre
  • Citizens Advice
  • Cosla
  • East Lothian Champions Board
  • Families need Fathers Scotland
  • Grandparents Apart UK
  • Inverclyde Child Contact Centre
  • Independent Care Review
  • Kinship carers networks, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Kilmarnock
  • Life Changes Trust
  • Mentor UK
  • Paisley Child Contact Centre
  • Parent Network Scotland
  • Perth, Stirling, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Youth Rights groups
  • Promoting Positive Contact
  • Recharge Young People’s Group Tranent
  • Relationships Scotland
  • Scottish Childrens Reporters Administration (SCRA)
  • Scottish Women’s Aid
  • Social Work Scotland
  • Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators
  • Scottish Youth Parliament
  • Who Cares? Scotland
  • Young Scot

2.8 The Scottish Government also held a roundtable with family law academics in July 2018.

2.9 Since the consultation closed the Scottish Government has met with the following organisations in relation to proposals in the Bill:

  • Adoption and Fostering Alliance Scotland
  • Adoption Task Force
  • Children 1st
  • Children and Young People’s Commissioner
  • Children’s Hearings Scotland
  • Celcis
  • ClanChildlaw
  • Cosla
  • Families need Fathers Scotland
  • Family Law Association
  • Grandparents Apart UK
  • Independent Care Review
  • Law Society of Scotland
  • Maisie’s Children’s Centre
  • Promoting Positive Contact
  • Relationships Scotland
  • Scottish Childrens Reporters Administration (SCRA)
  • Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
  • Scottish Legal Aid Board
  • Scottish Youth Parliament
  • Scottish Women’s Aid
  • Social Work Scotland
  • Dr C Jones, Strathclyde University
  • Who Cares? Scotland

2.10 The meetings with organisations both during the consultation process and after the consultation had shut have helped to inform the policy of the Bill.

Contact

Email: family.law@gov.scot

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