Consultation Responses
A significant part of our output, which often receives less attention, is our submissions to Government or international bodies' consultations. A selection of these submissions can be found below.
The government will introduce a legislative ban on the practice of so-called conversion therapy. This consultation sought views on proposals on how to ban these practices, which particularly affect LGBT people.
Read more about NSS's correspondence with the government on this issue.
The government consulted on proposals for meat from animals not stunned before slaughter to be accurately labelled. The proposals form part of a government call for evidence on reforms to food labelling to improve animal welfare and consumer choice.
We supported the proposals in our response, and called for exemptions allowing non-stun slaughter to be scrapped.
We've backed a proposal for a bill to enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with assistance to end their life, outlined in a consultation by Liam McArthur MSP.
We responded to the Education Committee supporting a private member bill to require the government to promote integrated education.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission consulted on what they should focus on in their strategic plan for 2022 to 2025 and how they might achieve this.
The NSS responded calling for an end to religious discrimination in schools to enhance fairness for children and young people, among other issues.
The Welsh Government consulted on how they can tackle inequalities experienced by LGBTQ+ communities, challenge discrimination, and create a society where LGBTQ+ people are safe to live and love authentically, openly and freely as themselves.
The NSS responded with recommendations for ending 'conversion therapy', tackling charities promoting anti-LGBT+ ideology, ensuring all schools are LGBT+ inclusive and challenging discrimination against LGBT+ people in employment in faith-based organisations.
The Office for National Statistics consulted on the release of census data and a proposed programme of analysis, to draw insights from that data.
The NSS's response calls for outputs on the Census 2021 to refer to "religion or belief" where possible and appropriate. We also call for the 'religion question', and subsequent outputs, in all future censuses to be phrased in a manner that is inclusive of the nonreligious.
Every few years the Law Commission undertakes a public consultation with a view to submitting to the Lord Chancellor a draft Programme of Law Reform.
The NSS has submitted five ideas for law reform:
- Abolish laws requiring collective worship in schools
- Remove 'the advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose
- Genital cutting – give greater protection for boys
- Remove religious exemptions to animal welfare laws regarding slaughter
- A legal framework for assisted dying
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) consulted on proposals for rules on harm and protected characteristics.
The NSS warned that without greater clarity, the new rules may increase religious censorship and inadvertently harm people on the basis of protected characteristics such as sex and sexual orientation.
The Scottish Government's Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee has invited views on a public petition, PE1817: End Conversion Therapy.
The petition was lodged in August 2020. It calls on the Scottish Parliament "to urge the Scottish Government to ban the provision or promotion of LGBT+ conversion therapy in Scotland".
The NSS responded with advice on what actions the Scottish Government could take to end 'conversion therapy'.