1 Responding to this Consultation

1 Responding to this Consultation

About this Consultation

1.1 Consultation is an essential part of the Scottish Government’s policy making process.  It gives us the opportunity to seek your opinions. This Consultation sets out the issues under consideration and asks you questions about what we are proposing.  After the Consultation is closed we will publish responses where we have been given permission to do so.

1.2 Responses are analysed and used as part of the policy making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence.  Responses to this Consultation will help to inform the development of future rules and guidance on the National Concessionary Travel Scheme in Scotland. 

Deadline

1.3 The Consultation closes at midnight on 17 November 2017.

How to respond

1.4 To encourage wide participation, the Scottish Government has created a number of ways for you to engage in the Consultation.  You can respond online, by email or by post.

1.5 The Consultation will also be available in alternative formats on request, including Large Print, Braille and Easy Read. 

1.6 In addition to publishing this Consultation document, we have also produced an information leaflet which can be downloaded from the Transport Scotland website: www.transport.gov.scot/concessionary-travel/

Respond Online

1.7 To respond online please use the Scottish Government’s Consultation Hub, Citizen Space, at www.consult.scotland.gov.uk.  You can save and return to your response at any time while the Consultation is open.  But please ensure that your response is submitted before the Consultation closes at midnight on 17 November 2017.

1.8 You will automatically be emailed a copy of your response after you submit it.  If you choose this method you will be directed to complete the Respondent Information Form.  The Respondent Information Form lets us know how you wish your response to be handled, and in particular whether you are happy for your response to be made public.

1.9 You can also complete the response form at Annex B, and either scan this and send it by email, or send it by post to the address given below.

Table of response methods

Online	You can use the response form on the Scottish Government’s Consultation Hub, Citizen Space, at www.consult.scotland.gov.uk
Email	Send us your response in an email to concessionarytravelconsultation@transport.gov.scot Please include the Respondent Information Form.
Post	Send your response in English to: Concessionary Travel Policy Team Transport Scotland Area 2D-North Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ Please include the Respondent Information Form.

1.10 With each of these methods you need to include your Respondent Information Form because this lets us know how you wish your response to be handled, and in particular whether you are happy for your response to be made public. 

1.11 You can find this in Annex B. 

Next Steps

1.12 After the Consultation has closed we will analyse all the responses received and use your feedback to help inform the development of future rules and guidance on the National Concessionary Travel Scheme.  Where permission has been given, we will make all responses available to the public at www.consult.scotland.gov.uk. The responses to the Consultation and analysis will be published in due course.

Need assistance?

1.13 If you need support in answering this Consultation or alternatively have a query about the Consultation process, or a complaint about how this Consultation has been conducted, you can send your query: 

• by email to concessionarytravelconsultation@transport.gov.scot 
• or by writing to:

Concessionary Travel Policy Team
Transport Scotland
Area 2D-North
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ