Number of consultations from 2006 to 2017: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/01404
Date received: 21 June 2017
Date responded: 19 July 2017

Information requested

1. the number of consultations opened by the Scottish Government in each year from 2006 to 2017 so far

2. the average length of time taken from the closure of a consultation to the publication of responses and the publication of a report by the Scottish Government in each year

3. the longest time taken for the publication of responses in a single consultation in each year

4. the consultation with the most responses in each year

Response

1. The number of consultations opened by the Scottish Government in each year from 2006 to 2017 so far

The Scottish Government opened the following number of consultations between January 2006 and 31 June 2017.

2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
132	100	137	92	108	96

2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
100	99	71	88	101	51

2. the average length of time taken from the closure of a consultation to the publication of responses and the publication of a report by the Scottish Government in each year

3. the longest time taken for the publication of responses in a single consultation in each year

4. the consultation with the most responses in each year

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested for the years prior to 2016.

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because prior to 2016 we did not record the length of time taken from closure of a consultation to publication of responses and publication of reports, nor the time taken for the publication of responses in a single consultation in each year because we have no business need to keep a record of that particular information. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

In October 2015 the Scottish Government moved all consultations onto its consultation hub (http://consult.scotland.gov.uk). The consultation hub records the data required to respond to the information you have requested for 2016.

• The average length of time taken from the closure of a consultation to the publication of responses in 2016, the first full year that the consultation hub was in operation, was 67.87 days.

• The average length of time taken from the closure of a consultation to the publication of a report in 2016 was 133 days.

• The longest time taken for the publication of responses in a single consultation in 2016 was 316 days.

• The consultation with the most responses in 2016 was the Draft Referendum Bill.

About FOI

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