Protecting the public from radioactive contamination in land: consultation

3. Impact Assessment

39. The Scottish Government does not believe that these proposed amendments will have any significant negative impacts on equality, on businesses or on the environment. In promoting the more effective and coordinated use of existing powers and duties, these amendments to the guidance should enable better outcomes. We would welcome any comments on impacts that you believe these proposals will have on yourself or on groups in society. You can consider these impacts under the following headings.

Equality

40. The Scottish Government is committed to promoting equality and removing or minimising disadvantage which may be experienced by different groups of people.

41. We have a legal duty to consider the impact of policies on people who may be differently affected in relation to the "protected characteristics" under the Equality Act 2010. The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Business

42. The Guidance does not directly impose new regulatory burdens on businesses, charities or the voluntary sector.

Environmental

43. The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 ensures those public plans that are likely to have a significant impact on the environment are assessed and measures to prevent or reduce adverse impacts are sought, where possible, prior to implementation of the plan in question.

Privacy

44. The Scottish Government is mindful that proposals which require people to share information are likely to have impacts in respect of privacy. The Guidance will not directly require any individual or organisation to disclose personal or commercially sensitive information if they are not content to do so.