Tell us how our savings proposals impact you
Protected characteristics
We want to hear the views of people with protected characteristics, and in particular from: young and older citizens; those with a disability; minority ethnic groups; sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment persons and groups; individuals and groups experiencing economic disadvantage, low income families and/ or communities; organisations supporting residents with protected characteristics and individuals or small businesses that buy, use or receive goods from Midlothian Council.
We want to understand the effects of each option and identify reasonable ways to minimize any negative impact on you or the people you represent.
We will update and publish an impact assessment for each of the budget options alongside the consultation findings. The final impact assessment and all feedback and evidence will be considered by Council as part of its decision making around the savings proposals.
Please read the information on protected characteristics below before answering the surveys.
Age
This could be if you are a younger person, older person or groups of people between any age ranges (for example 16-25, 30-45 year olds).
Disability
Disability is considered when a person has a physical or mental difficulty that makes it hard for them to do everyday things.
Gender reassignment
Gender reassignment means you do not identify as the sex you were born with on your birth certificate. You might have been born female but spend your life as a male.
Marriage and civil partnership
Marriage and civil partnership is where you have a legal partnership with another person through marriage or registration.
Race
Race means how we describe our background through ethnicity, language, culture or religion.
Religion and belief
Religion can mean a set of important beliefs and practices that people may share about God, life and death. Belief means a strong idea that a person may have, and feels it is true and lives by this belief.
Sex
Sex means if you are a man or a woman.
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation refers to the kind of people you love or have romantic or sexual feelings about. This might mean you are a man and like a man, or you and a woman and like a woman or you like both men and women or neither.
Small businesses
The Consumer Scotland Act 2020 requires local authorities to consider the impact of strategic decisions on consumers. Consumers include individuals or small businesses that buy, use or receive goods or services from Midlothian Council. The duty focuses on putting consumer interests at the heart of public sector decision-making emphasising the need for accessible and affordable public services, especially during times of financial pressure.
Socio-economic status
Under the Fairer Scotland Duty, Midlothian Council needs to consider the impact on people who experience socio economic disadvantage. This means citizens who are living on a low income compared to others in Scotland, restricting the ability to access basic goods and services.