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Covering Letter

Rural Directorate
Agriculture and Rural Development Division
T: 0131-244 6392 F: 0131-244 6551
E: Ronnie.grady@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

20 June 2008

Dear Sir/Madam

CONSULTATION ON WHETHER IT IS APPROPRIATE TO SET MINIMUM RATES OF PAY AND OTHER CONDITIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL WORKERS IN SCOTLAND

The review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board was announced as part of the First Minister's statement on 30 January 2008 on simplifying public services. In undertaking the review we are seeking the views of individuals and bodies involved in agriculture on whether it is appropriate to continue to set separate minimum rates of pay and conditions for agricultural workers in Scotland and, if so how this might be done - taking account of recent and future changes and general employment legislation. We are also seeking views on the future of the Board and on alternative mechanisms for establishing pay rates and conditions for agricultural workers in Scotland. The consultation paper is also available on line at www.scotland.gov.uk.

Written responses to this consultation paper are invited by 30 September 2008 although you are encouraged to respond prior to this deadline if at all possible. Please send your response to:

Ronnie.grady@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

or

Ronnie Grady

If you have any queries please contact Louise Stewart or myself on 0131 244 6394 or 6392.

Handling your Response

We need to know how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be made public. Please complete and return the Respondent Information Form as this will ensure we treat your response appropriately. If you ask for your response not to be published then we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government are 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 this consultation exercise.

Next Steps in the Process

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, these will be made available to the public in the Scottish Government Library. We will check all responses where agreement to publish has been given for any potentially defamatory material before logging them in the Library. You can make arrangements to view responses by contacting the Scottish Government Library on 0131 244 4552. Responses can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for this service.

If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to Neil Fleming, at the address given below.

Yours faithfully

RONNIE GRADY

RESPONDEE INFORMATION FORM

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION PROCESS

Consultation is an essential and important aspect of Scottish Government working methods. Given the wide-ranging areas of work of the Scottish Government, there are many varied types of consultation. However, in general Scottish Government consultation exercises aim to provide opportunities for those who wish to express their opinions on a proposed area of work to do so in ways which will inform and enhance that work.

While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body. Consultation exercises may involve seeking views in a number of different ways, such as public meetings, focus groups or questionnaire exercises.

The views and suggestions detailed in consultation responses are analysed and used as part of the decision-making process. Depending on the nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may:

Indicate the need for policy development or review
Inform the development of a particular policy
Help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals
Be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented

If you have any comment about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to:

Ronnie Grady

Tel: 0131 244 6392
e-mail: Ronnie.grady@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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