The Scottish Government

Week one

• The organiser sends the local authority and the police a notification and any necessary risk assessment. The local authority should acknowledge that they have received the notification.
• The local authority should make arrangements with the organiser and police for a meeting to discuss the notification. For small routine marches, the local authority can handle arrangements by phone or e-mail.
• The local authority must publicise the notification according to their agreed procedures, giving two weeks to receive views and explaining how they will take account of those views.
• The local authority must give information to those organisations on their 'opt-in list' (for example, business organisations, churches and, community councils). Give two weeks to receive views.

Week two

• The precursory meeting takes place with the organiser and, police to discuss the notification. The local authority should record the meeting and agree an outcome.
• The local authority will assess the risks under Section 63(8) of the 1982 Act. The police will contribute to the assessment to help them form a policing plan.

Week three

• The local authority will receive views from the public, from those on the opt-in list and from the police.
• The local authority must review all the information they have received to make sure that circumstances have not changed.

Week four

• The local authority must consider all the information received on the notification according to their agreed procedures (by officials or by committee).
• If appropriate, the local authority will make an order about the procession.
• The local authority must discuss the outcome of their consideration of views with the organiser and the police.
• The local authority will give the organiser a letter outlining what was agreed in the notification, any formal order they have made and the agreed code of conduct.
• The local authority must publicise the procession and any possible disruption through their agreed procedures.
• The procession takes place.

After the procession

• The local authority will need to hold a debriefing meeting between them, the organiser, the police and any other appropriate groups to discuss experiences, outcomes and to agree the record. The debriefing process should include a discussion about how the police used their enforcement powers.
• The local authority will not need a debriefing meeting for small routine marches unless there are aspects of the march which have concerned them, the police or the community.