Campaigns and Hubs Don't Lose Your Voice - LGBTQ+ Democracy Hub Understanding public consultations Public consultations are an important part of the democratic process that gives us a voice on proposed plans and policies. This is particularly important for LGBTQ+ people because there are many issues that may affect us more directly e.g. healthcare, hate crime etc. You might have encountered public consultations about changes to your local area like pedestrianising certain streets, but they aren’t limited to these kinds of changes. Both local and national government conduct public consultations on extremely important issues. What are public consultations? Public consultations are a way for the Government, and other organisations, to find out what people think of ideas or policy proposals, giving people a voice and the opportunity to influence decisions. Public consultations are important because: It lets people have their say It helps people in power make informed decisions It holds the government and public organisations accountable. Public consultations can be held about lots of different things, including but not limited to: New building proposals Planning permission Regeneration and redevelopment Changes to the law and legislation Healthcare Schools/education Traffic and zoning changes Other issues that are important to engage residents with local government A public consultation can take the form of: A public/ in-person meeting Online surveys Surveys via post or text message Feedback forms Focus groups Sounding boards Canvassing on the street Talking to residents on their doorstep Telephone interviews Drop-in events Why do we need public consultations Giving the public a voice in-between elections – there is not an election every year , so public consultations allow us to give direct feedback around issues to our elected officials beyond the electoral cycle. Addressing new and upcoming issues – public consultations can tackle issues that may have not been included in a government manifesto or previous proposals. They allow you to have your say on anything newly introduced. Providing ownership over proposed plans – public consultations allow us a stake in plans and policies and help create ideas to improve them . Having a say on issues that impact our community – there are many issues that can impact the LGBTQ+ community more directly, such as healthcare, provision to tackle hate crime , new queer venues, and decisions around diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s vital that we engage in these consultations to have our say on what impacts us most. What are the different types of public consultation? There are different types of public consultations, from UK-wide conducted by the Government, to ones conducted locally by councils and local authorities. UK Government public consultations Consultations by the Government happen all the time. The government uses input and feedback from the consultation to develop new policies, change existing policies or make amendments and changes to any public processes and practices. In the early stages of the development of a new policy, the Government may launch something called a “green paper”. This is consultation document produced by the Government to give us, and those in government, the opportunity to feedback on the policy or legislative proposals. These are often conducted via online forms. To see all current UK government public consultations click here. Using this government portal, you can see whether any consultation is still open. If it is, it will provide you with: An overview of the consultation, including publication date and when it was last updated the relevant information and documents sometimes the ability to request accessible formats ways to respond e.g. online, via email or by post etc. Public consultations are also hosted on other government sites. Here are examples of recent consultations: Reforms to Right to Buy Response to proposed changes to the availability of puberty blockers Local government public consultations Local authorities (councils) can also conduct public consultations. They help them assess what people think in local areas and allow residents and local people to give feedback and have their say. While these public consultations can be held for things that directly change the local area e.g. should a street be pedestrianised, there are other reasons local authorities run public consultations, such as: To improve people’s interaction with their local council and local representatives To improve use of resources To improve ideas and generate new ones To assess satisfaction with local authorities To govern by consent To assess the needs of residents Local consultations don’t have to follow a strict format and might be conducted differently depending on the council or department e.g. in-person consultations vs online consultations. You can find local government public consultations for your area here. To get started, just enter your postcode https://www.gov.uk/find-local-consultations Other public consultations Any organisation with public stakeholders can conduct a public consultation, for example organisations like Transport for London or even a local Church or nature reserve. Here are Transport or London (TFL)’s consultation procedures. Are public consultations binding? Public consultations are not binding. There is no legal requirement to follow through on the results of a public consultation. In certain circumstances consultations are statutory (compulsory) and must be held by law, but there is no obligation for the government to abide by the results. Then why take part in a public consultation? Even if not legally binding, your participation influences decision making - residents sharing their views can apply pressure on elected officials to respond. This is vital for issues that directly impact the LGBTQ+ community, such as trans healthcare or anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime. There needs to be evidence of a strong support for change or opposition to negative proposals and making sure our elected officials are accountable to those they serve. What happens after a public consultation? After a public consultation, all responses will be reviewed and then published, usually on the Government’s website (if it was conducted by them). If it was a Government public consultation, civil servants may publish more detailed analysis of the responses for wider consumption. After the deliberation period, sometimes reports are published that make recommendations based on responses to the consultation. Once the responses have been considered, it may influence the decision making process. For example, if a new building was proposed by a local council, the project may be formally funded and building work commenced. Supported by the Greater London Authority, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE. Printed and promoted by LGBT HERO, Unit 74, The Link, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ Manage Cookie Preferences