24. We would welcome your views on the proposed changes to create a single legal entity to underpin the integrated tourism network in Scotland. These are:
• Changing the name of the Scottish Tourist Board to VisitScotland
• Removing the reference in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 that "there shall be Area Tourist Boards"
• Abolishing the current 2 Network Area Tourist Boards, through which the integrated tourism network has been established to create a single legal entity.
• Increasing the limit on the size of the VisitScotland Board from 7 members to a maximum of 12 members
25. The consultation period will run from 5 September 2005 to 3 December 2005. Following this, Scottish Ministers will consider what changes should be made to the draft Bill before it is introduced to the Scottish Parliament. We anticipate the Bill being introduced to the Parliament in March 2006.
26. Please send your responses to the following address or by email to - tourism@scotland.gsi.gov.uk by 3 December 2005.
Scottish Executive
Tourism Team
Area 1 B
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Telephone: Gaynor Davenport on 0131 244 4077
Fax: 0131 244 1675
Confidentiality
Copies of all responses received will be placed in the Executive library and will be available to the general public. Responses will also be made available to the public on the Scottish Executive web-site. The view expressed by respondents may also be quoted or referred to in any future review of responses. If you do not wish your responses to be made public, please indicate clearly that all or part of your response is to be treated as confidential. As a public body, however the Scottish Executive is subject to Freedom of Information legislation and so any responses submitted will be subject to that legislation. We will count confidential responses in any statistical analysis and your views will of course be taken into account in the same way as for non-confidential responses.
Electronic publication and additional copies
This publication is available via the internet at: www.scotland.gov.uk/tourismbill
Additional paper copies of this consultation paper are available from the address above.