Writing a letter to your representatives via the FSN gives your letter a lot more weight than it had when it was written. The main reason is because we are an interest group and we are an affiliated organisation of Scotland's governing party. By sending your letter through us, it shows we too agree with what you're saying and the recepient (MSP, MP etc.) knows that and so won't just simply ignore it or leave it lying.

Below is the step-by-step guide in writing your letter and ensuring it gets to the right people:

STEP 1: What parties should it go to? -

(a) ALL: The letter you intend to write wants just to hear the views of all parties on a particular issue;

(b) SNP: The one and only. You'll probably use this most often and normally with a specific concern such as a school closure and asking the SNP to step in or you disagree with the NHS and want it abolished - we won't be sending anything like that :).

(c) OPPOSITION: This would only be for circumstances where you know the SNP position on a topic i.e graduate endowment and you want other parties to support it.

(d) SPECIFIC: For sending your disapproval at other parties for things they have done at a local and national level.

STEP 2: Local, devolved or reserved? -

DEVOLVED

Health
Education
Local Government
Social Work
Housing
Planning
Tourism
Economic Development
Some Transport
Courts and legal system
Police and fire services
Environment
Natural and built heritage
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Sport and the arts
Public registers and records

RESERVED

Constitutional matters
UK Foreign Policy
Defence
National Security
Common Markets
Trade and Industry
Some Transport
Employment Law
Social Security
Gambling and national lottery
Data Protection
Abortion
Equal Opportunities
Broadcasting/Entertainment
Guns and weapons
Drug Laws
Energy - coal, gas, oil, electricity and nuclear energy
Elections

LOCAL COUNCIL

STEP 3: Write letter -

Go back and click "Write Letter".