Government set to reduce consultation periods

At present, government consultations run for a minimum of 12 weeks, with extensions given where feasible and sensible.

The Cabinet Office yesterday (July 17) issued guidance on Consultation Principles which says that consultations may vary from two to 12 weeks depending on the complexity of the issue.

The guidance states: Timeframes for consultation should be proportionate and realistic to allow stakeholders sufficient time to provide a considered response. The amount of time required will depend on the nature and impact of the proposal (for example, the diversity of interested parties or the complexity of the issue, or even external events), and might typically vary between two and 12 weeks.

In some cases there will be no requirement for consultation at all and that may depend on the issue and whether interested groups have already been engaged in the policy making process. For a new and contentious policy, such as a new policy on nuclear energy, the full 12 weeks may still be appropriate.

Recent waste and recycling consultations launched by the government, which ran for 12 weeks included: Amending the Waste Regulations 2011 on the separate collection of recycling; and, amending the powers of local authorities regarding presentation of waste for collection.

Principles

Elsewhere the guidance explains that policy makers should think carefully about who needs to be consulted and that the information provided to the consultation should be easy to comprehend.

The key Consultation Principles include:

• Departments will follow a range of timescales rather than defaulting to a 12-week period, particularly where extensive engagement has occurred before;
• Departments will need to give more thought to how they engage with and consult with those who are affected;
• Consultation should be digital by default, but other forms should be used where these are needed to reach the groups affected by a policy;
• The principles of the Compact between government and the voluntary and community sector will continue to be respected.

Approach

The document replaces the Code of Practice on Consultation which was issued in July 2008 and will take effect from early autumn 2012.

The Cabinet Office said it will help the government to better understand the impact of the proposals being put out for consultation.

It said: The government is improving the way it consults by adopting a more proportionate and targeted approach, so that the type and scale of engagement is proportional to the potential impacts of the proposal. The emphasis is on understanding the effects of a proposal and focussing on real engagement with key groups rather than following a set process.

Sensible

The plans were welcomed by John Twitchen, vice-chair of the Consultation Institute’s Advisory Board and director of 3G-Sauce, which recently merged from waste and recycling communications firm Sauce Consultancy and 3G Communications (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on the governments plans Mr Twitchen told letsrecycle.com: The Government’s announcement is sensible, and welcome. It closely mirrors recommendations made by the Consultation Institute in 2008. It is important that consultation is fit for purpose and not unnecessarily onerous, and this should help.

“Obviously, the result must be better decisions and more meaningful consultation – the Government will be held to account on this basis.