Dear Ms Jewell

I refer to the above and write further to your request for information
dated 16 January 2023.

You have requested information in relation to lobbying for climate action
and funding.

As your request relates to information which Council may hold about a
matter affecting land and the environment your request will be processed
in accordance with the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Accordingly, you will receive the information you have requested within 20
working days of the date of receipt of your request by the Council unless
the Council does not hold the information or there is a reason to withhold
all or part of the information requested.  I will write to you in any
event. 

I hope to respond to your request as soon as practicable but no later than
13 February 2023.

For further information on the Environmental Information Regulations I
would direct you to the website of the Information Commissioner's Office,
[1]https://ico.org.uk/

If you wish to discuss the above please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Ruth Rooney
Information Officer

Oifig Dhún Pádraig

Downpatrick Office

Downshire Civic Centre

Downshire Estate, Ardglass Road

Downpatrick BT30 6GQ

Council: 0330 137 4000

Direct dial: 0330 137 4825

[2]www.newrymournedown.org

[3]www.facebook.com/nmdcouncil

[4]www.twitter.com/nmdcouncil

This e-mail, its contents and any attachments are intended only for the
above named. As this e-mail may contain confidential or legally privileged
information, if you are not, or suspect that you are not, the above named,
or the person responsible for delivering the message to the above named,
delete or destroy the email and any attachments immediately. The contents
of this e-mail may not be disclosed to, nor used by, anyone other than the
above named. We will not accept any liability (in negligence or otherwise)
arising from any third party acting, or refraining from acting, on such
information. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed in such
messages are not given or endorsed by the Council, unless otherwise
indicated in writing by an authorised representative independent of such
messages. Please note that we cannot guarantee that this message or any
attachment is virus free or has not been intercepted and amended. The
Council undertakes monitoring of both incoming and outgoing e-mails. You
should therefore be aware that if you send an e-mail to a person within
the Council it may be subject to any monitoring deemed necessary by the
organisation. As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose
this e-mail (or any response to it) under UK Data Protection and Freedom
of Information legislation, unless the information in it is covered by an
exemption.

References

Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/
2. http://www.newrymournedown.org/
3. http://www.facebook.com/nmdcouncil
4. http://www.twitter.com/nmdcouncil

Dear Ms Jewell

I refer to the above and write further to my email dated 18 January 2023.

Under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 you have requested
information from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.  Your request
has been processed in accordance with the Environmental Information
Regulations and, accordingly, please see Council’s response below.

REQUEST

I would like information about your council’s lobbying work in relation to
climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards.

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following
question:

Has the council written to or met with UK national or devolved governments
to ask or lobby for climate action since 1st January 2019? Please provide
some evidence of the most recent letter or meeting such as a copy of the
letter or email sent, or the date, topic of meeting and position of the
person that the meeting was held with.

This includes either asking for more powers and funding for local
authorities to take climate action, or asking for the government to take
further action themselves. This includes working with other local
authorities to send joint letters or meetings to lobby UK or devolved
governments, and includes both general climate action and calls for action
on specific issues such as transport where climate change is mentioned as
a motivating factor for taking action.

This includes if a cabinet member or other councillor has written to or
met with the UK or devolved governments on behalf of the council.

RESPONSE

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council holds the following recorded
information relating to your request:

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council engages with both UK Government
(Westminster Parliament) and the NI Assembly and NI Government Departments
on various issues directly related to Climate Action.

2 examples of recent engagement are:

• Council signed the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration which calls on
national governments to put food and farming at the heart of the
global response to the climate and nature emergency – see attached;
and
• Council attended a Westminster Day of Action (London 20 July 2022)
engaging MPs in support of Sustainable Food through our membership of
the Sustainable Food Places programme (SFP) – This led to follow up
meetings with local MP Jim Shannon. A Food Strategy for NI is being
developed and an All Party Working Group of MLAs being set up at
Stormont.

If you wish to discuss the above or require clarification on any matter,
please do not hesitate to contact me.

I trust this is of assistance.  However, should you be unhappy with our
response in this matter you may request an Internal Review of our response
by 3 April 2023.  You can contact Ms Edel Cosgrove, Head of Compliance
([1][email address]) in that regard. In the event you are unhappy
with the outcome of any Internal Review conducted by the Council you may
apply to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a review of our
response.

You can contact the ICO via the following details:

ICO website: [2]www.ico.org.uk

ICO self-service portal: [3]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Helpline: 0303 123 1114

Please note that the ICO generally expects Internal Reviews to be
completed prior to reviewing the decisions of public bodies.  For further
information in relation to the Environmental Information Regulations I
would direct you to the website of the Information Commissioner at:
[4]www.ico.org.uk.

Kind regards

Ruth Rooney
Information Officer

Oifig Dhún Pádraig

Downpatrick Office

Downshire Civic Centre

Downshire Estate, Ardglass Road

Downpatrick BT30 6GQ

Council: 0330 137 4000

Direct dial: 0330 137 4825

[5]www.newrymournedown.org

[6]www.facebook.com/nmdcouncil

[7]www.twitter.com/nmdcouncil

This e-mail, its contents and any attachments are intended only for the
above named. As this e-mail may contain confidential or legally privileged
information, if you are not, or suspect that you are not, the above named,
or the person responsible for delivering the message to the above named,
delete or destroy the email and any attachments immediately. The contents
of this e-mail may not be disclosed to, nor used by, anyone other than the
above named. We will not accept any liability (in negligence or otherwise)
arising from any third party acting, or refraining from acting, on such
information. Opinions, conclusions and other information expressed in such
messages are not given or endorsed by the Council, unless otherwise
indicated in writing by an authorised representative independent of such
messages. Please note that we cannot guarantee that this message or any
attachment is virus free or has not been intercepted and amended. The
Council undertakes monitoring of both incoming and outgoing e-mails. You
should therefore be aware that if you send an e-mail to a person within
the Council it may be subject to any monitoring deemed necessary by the
organisation. As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose
this e-mail (or any response to it) under UK Data Protection and Freedom
of Information legislation, unless the information in it is covered by an
exemption.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/
3. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
4. http://www.ico.org.uk/
5. http://www.newrymournedown.org/
6. http://www.facebook.com/nmdcouncil
7. http://www.twitter.com/nmdcouncil