Council vegan catering options

Dear Alex Huntley

FOI REQUEST FOI001-4892

We acknowledge your request for information received on 5 April 2023. 

We are considering your request and you should receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, unless the information is
exempt or we require additional time to consider whether disclosure is in
the public interest in accordance with section 2 of the Freedom of
Information Act.

We will try to supply information in electronic format by email, but if
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The Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the
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tell you if this is the case, and you will have a right of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
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If you have any queries or concerns, then please contact me directly. You
can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales 2nd Floor Churchill House
Churchill Way Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Telephone: 02920 678400 Fax: 02920 678399

Email: [1][email address]

Website: [2]https://ico.org.uk/

Yours sincerely

Ffion Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643603
Walker                                                                                
Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr|  Chief Executive’s Directorate  

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough Council E-bost / E-Mail
[3][email address]

Gwefan / Website:
[4]www.bridgend.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Dear Sir/Madam,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOI001-4892

With regards to your request for information received on 5 April 2023, I
would be grateful if you could clarify the following:

In relation to the concerning “external events catering”, does this mean
events where the Council has used external catering services?  Or are you
asking about events where BCBC catering might have provided food for an
external event?

If I do not receive clarification from you within one month, I will close
the file.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Tina

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr|  Chief Executive’s Directorate

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it represents the
views of the individual(s) who sent them and should not be regarded
as the official view of Bridgend County Borough Council. The contents
are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If
you have received it in error, please inform the system administrator
[email address]

This e-mail and any attachments have been scanned.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn
cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid
eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar
Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i
cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i
weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

Dear Alex Huntley

Thank you for your email of 15 April 2023.

With regards to your email received on 15 May 2023, I would be grateful if you could clarify if this means that you are asking about both events where the Council has used external catering services and events where BCBC catering might have provided food for an external event?

If I do not receive clarification from you within one month, I will close the file.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Tina

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office
Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr| Chief Executive’s Directorate
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough Council
Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473
Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]
Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

Dear Alex  Huntley

Please accept my apologies for the need to come back to you for further
clarification.  In relation to the question below, please confirm which of
the following areas this particular question relates to: 

With regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty, does your decision-making
regarding the provision of food take into account the fact that veganism
is a protected characteristic for the purpose of the Equality Act 2010?
Yes/No

Does this relate to schools, care homes or the use of external catering
services?

If I do not receive clarification from you within one month, I will close
the file.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Tina 

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr|  Chief Executive’s Directorate

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it represents the
views of the individual(s) who sent them and should not be regarded
as the official view of Bridgend County Borough Council. The contents
are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If
you have received it in error, please inform the system administrator
[email address]

This e-mail and any attachments have been scanned.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn
cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid
eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar
Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i
cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i
weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

Dear Alex Huntley

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOI001-4892

We refer to your email dated 5 April 2023 which contained a request for
information as set out in italics below.  Following consideration of your
request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I respond
to each point as follows:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the
following information:

With regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty, does your decision-making
regarding the provision of food take into account the fact that veganism
is a protected characteristic for the purpose of the Equality Act 2010?
Yes/No

The Council’s Education section have advised us that in the
decision-making regarding the provision of food, the specific dietary
requirements of individual clients are considered and catered for on an
individual basis.  

How many vegan hot and cold meal options do you offer:  50% of the School
Meals options are Plant Based

In your own local authority canteen every day (if you have one)? 0, 1, 2,
3 or more. Please also express this as a proportion of the overall number
of options offered.   - The council does not have a canteen, therefore it
does not hold the requested information. 

In external events catering (if applicable)? Eg: 0, 1, 2, 3 or more.
Please also express this as a proportion of the overall number of options
offered.   The Council’s Procurement section have advised that they are
not aware any specific policy however I can advise you that the dietary
requirements of those attending each event would be taken into
consideration when arranging food and refreshments. 

Is a requirement for providing vegan hot and cold meal options included
within the catering procurement contracts you issue for other catering
provision for which you are responsible including schools, leisure
centres, care homes, libraries, and any other public buildings?  Yes/No  -
Not applicable to the Education Section 

Has your organisation taken any action to reduce meat and dairy
consumption in order to meet environmental goals? 

·        If yes, please detail what actions have been taken, e.g. 100% or
50% plant-based food options offered.  Yes - 50% of the School Meals
options are Plant Based

·        If no, do you have ambitions to take action in this area, eg
through setting meat reduction targets? Yes/no, if yes please detail what
ambitions you have set out.    Not applicable. 

We have also set out below specific responses for each of the care homes
within the borough.  Please see below.

Bryn y Cae Care home –

Has your organisation taken any action to reduce meat and dairy
consumption in order to meet environmental goals?  No, it is guided by
personal choice of its residents.

·        If yes, please detail what actions have been taken, e.g. 100% or
50% plant-based food options offered.  

·        If no, do you have ambitions to take action in this area, eg
through setting meat reduction targets? Yes/no, if yes please detail what
ambitions you have set out.  No

Ty Llwynderw & Ty Ynysawdre Care Home –

With regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty, does your decision-making
regarding the provision of food take into account the fact that veganism
is a protected characteristic for the purpose of the Equality Act 2010?
Yes/No  yes

How many vegan hot and cold meal options do you offer  They offer vegan
meals on request and always have 1 option on the menu daily .

Has your organisation taken any action to reduce meat and dairy
consumption in order to meet environmental goals?  No, however we do offer
the vegan choice

·        If yes, please detail what actions have been taken, e.g. 100% or
50% plant-based food options offered.

·        If no, do you have ambitions to take action in this area, eg
through setting meat reduction targets? Yes/no, if yes please detail what
ambitions you have set out.  No. We have an equal ratio of dishes which we
serve, not meat every day we use a lot of vegetables to make up meals and
vegetarian cheeses.

Ty Cwm Ogwr Care home –

With regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty, does your decision-making
regarding the provision of food take into account the fact that veganism
is a protected characteristic for the purpose of the Equality Act 2010?
Yes/No Yes

How many vegan hot and cold meal options do you offer:  None but this is
due to having no vegan residents at the moment

Has your organisation taken any action to reduce meat and dairy
consumption in order to meet environmental goals?  No

If no, do you have ambitions to take action in this area, eg through
setting meat reduction targets? Yes/no, if yes please detail what
ambitions you have set out.  No

I hope this response satisfies your request. If you are dissatisfied with
the handling of the request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you
have the right to request a review of the Council’s response to your
request for information.  If you wish to request a review, please write to
the below address or email [1][Bridgend County Borough Council request email] .  Following ICO
guidance, a request for a review must be made within 2 months of a
response being received.

Monitoring Officer

Bridgend County Borough Council

Civic Offices,

Angel Street

Bridgend, CF31 4WB

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of that review, you may seek
further recourse by lodging an appeal with the Information Commissioner
at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

E:mail : [2][email address]

Website:  [3]www.ico.org.uk

Yours sincerely

--

Freedom of Information Office

Bridgend County Borough Council

Level 4, Civic Offices

Angel Street

Bridgend

CF31 4WB

Tel: 01656 643565

Email: [4][Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it represents the
views of the individual(s) who sent them and should not be regarded
as the official view of Bridgend County Borough Council. The contents
are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If
you have received it in error, please inform the system administrator
[email address]

This e-mail and any attachments have been scanned.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn
cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid
eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar
Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i
cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i
weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

References

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1. mailto:[Bridgend County Borough Council request email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.ico.org.uk/
4. mailto:[Bridgend County Borough Council request email]