The Consultation Institute has been studying closely the consultation practices of our Government. In a recent announcement, it has expressed the following view:

"Following a spate of Government gaffes and u-turns the Institute was astounded to see the following statement in the press this week on David Cameron’s decision to halt the ‘Conservatory Tax’ set out in the Green Deal. Here is the quote: "A government source said: The idea that people are going to be forced to improve their energy efficiency or install a new boiler because they want to extend their garage or make their house better is not going to happen. It is not policy now. It is out for consultation, but the prime minister is opposed to it, and it will not become policy. [our bold] It is not fair to ordinary people trying to improve their homes." The penultimate sentence is a demonstration of bad consultation practice – as the Institute teaches in all its training, if you’ve made up your mind don’t consult! It should be noted that this is just one part of a much wider consultation and therefore does not condemn the whole process but it is a further example of the Government’s inconsistent consultation practices."