Responding to consultations is one way of influencing government policy. The Women's Resource Centre helps women's organisations respond in the most effective way, co-ordinating responses and gathering a wide range of views.

Tips for women's organisations: Responding to government consultations can take a lot of time. Remember, you don’t need to answer all the questions, you can just focus on your key points, and you can raise issues that aren’t covered by the consultation questions.

How to use WRC's template responses:
1. Please feel free to cut and paste as much of the template response as you want into your own response.
2. Remember to create a new document and include information about your organisation, logo etc.
3. Remember to add your organisations’ name where appropriate and indicated in the text.
4. Remember to add further information on your own organisation and the work it does and the women you work with where appropriate and indicated in the text.
5. Please let us know if you respond to the consultation and send copies of your response to policy@wrc.org.uk

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UK Bill of Human Rights consultation

Consulting Body: Commission on a Bill of Rights

Deadline for Responses: 11 November 2011

Details: The Commission on a Bill of Rights was set up in March 2011. It aims to investigate the creation of a UK Bill of Rights, that incorporates and builds on all the government's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and protects and extend our liberties. The Commission has published a Discussion Paper, Do we need a UK Bill of Rights?, as a first step in a programme for wide consultation with the public.

We believe that this is an important opportunity to have your voice heard in relation to Human Rights laws and to influence the content of the potential Bill of Rights. We will be holding an event around this consultation on 14th October. At this event, we will discuss how to use curent human rights legislation in your work and your views on the British Bill of Rights Discussion Paper. For further details or to attend this event, please contact natalie@wrc.org.uk or telephone 020 7324 3057.

For further information on the key proposals made in the Discussion Paper, please see our briefing below.

Documents:

WRC briefing on UK Bill of Rights Discussion Paper (PDF 151KB)

WRC template response to UK Bill of Rights Discussion Paper (Word 491KB)

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Public Services Reforms White Paper

Consulting Body: Cabinet Office

Deadline for Responses: 30 September 2011

Details: In July 2011, the Cabinet Office published its strategy for reforming public services, ‘Open Public Services’. The White Paper sets out a comprehensive policy framework for public service reforms and will have a considerable effect on how public services are delivered in the UK and will affect women’s organisations of all shapes and sizes, some of whom may already be running public services locally.

We believe it is urgent that we as a sector respond to this consultation to shape the areas of the reforms that are yet to be finalised and make sure that these policies provide adequate support to organisations that wish to act as a public service provider in their area.

We have published a briefing on the reforms and template response below. You can also find more information on the BBC's article on the reforms.

Documents:

WRC briefing on Open Public Services White Paper (94.73KB)

WRC template response to Open Public Services White Paper (Word 548.50KB)

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Past briefings and consultations