Improving transparency in land ownership in Scotland: a consultation on controlling interests in land

Chapter 7: How to respond

We would like to hear your views on proposals to provide for the disclosure and publication of information on the controlling interests in land owners and tenants across Scotland.

This paper covers a wide range of complex issues and we appreciate there is a lot to consider. However, we still want to make it as accessible as possible. That is why we have placed this consultation onto our consultation platform, Citizen Space, to allow for swift navigation and ease of use. We use Citizen Space because we believe that responding online represents the best opportunity for respondents to give a full account of their views and opinions.

Handling your response

There are a number of ways that you can respond. If you respond using Citizen Space ( http://consult.scotland.gov.uk/) you will be directed to the Respondent Information Form. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to published.

If you are unable to respond via Citizen Space, please complete and return the Respondent Information Form. The respondent information form and consultation questionnaire are available in MS Word format (262KB)

You can respond by email by sending your response to: LandReform@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. You can also respond in writing, by sending your responses to the address below. Please do not forget to include your Respondent Information Form as your response cannot be accepted without it.

We would be grateful if you would use the consultation questionnaire provided or would clearly indicate in your response which questions or parts of the consultation paper you are responding to, as this will aid our analysis of the responses received.

Other formats of this consultation can be made available on request - please contact the Land Reform Team.

If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential and treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

Next Steps

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.scotland.gov.uk. If you use Citizen Space to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so.

The consultation runs until 5 pm on 5 December 2016. A 12 week consultation will allow us to ensure your views are taken into account in order to introduce regulations providing for a register of controlling interests in this Parliamentary year.