Consultation helps us to understand how things like a new policy or law may affect you.
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Why we consult
Consultation helps us to understand how things like a new policy or law may affect you. Better understanding by finding out your ideas and suggestions helps us to make policies more effective.
Consultation is a more formal way of gathering views. It is a way for Ministers to seek a wide range of views on a proposed course of action or policy. We also use other techniques to involve you in decisions. We want to understand different views and perspectives on what we propose to do and your input helps improve government services.
In certain cases, the law states that we must consult with individuals, groups, or partners that could be affected.
Who we consult
We aim to reach as many stakeholders as possible. We target groups and communities who may not normally respond. We want their views.
The Well-being of Future Generations law says we must involve a diverse range of people in our decisions.
How we consult
When a new consultation is launched, we make the relevant documents available on our website so that anyone can read them and contribute.
We normally allow a minimum of 12 weeks for stakeholders to respond to a consultation, unless in there is a good reason not to. All consultations will have a clear start and end date.
How we use the information
Once a consultation is complete, we need time to consider the responses. The time this takes can vary depending on the number and complexity of responses received. We aim to publish a summary report of responses on our website. This is usually within 12 weeks of the closing date of the consultation. We check and analyse all responses before making a decision.
We will publish all consultation responses on our website in the language they have been received.
Handling and processing consultation responses is governed by the requirements for Personal Data. United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Every consultation will contain an explanation of how these regulations apply. We follow data protection laws on handling responses. Our Welsh Government privacy notice explains more.