Period Poverty Actions

The request was successful.

Dear Belfast City Council,

Under Freedom of Information Act I request;

- all documentation relating to your council's actions to combat period poverty.

Yours faithfully,

Jade O'Sullivan

Margaret Higgins, Belfast City Council

Dear Ms Sullivan

 

Thank you for your email dated 12 January 2023, requesting information
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on Belfast City Council's
actions to combat period poverty.

 

To enable the Council to respond, I must ask you to clarify what you mean
by ‘all documentation relating to your council's actions to combat period
poverty’.

 

Please confirm what type(s) of documentation that you are seeking
information on and the timeframe covering your request. 

 

I should explain that the Council is permitted to seek this clarification
under Section 1 (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and it is not
required to respond to your request until you provide this information.

 

If you are dissatisfied with how the Council handled your request for
information, you have the right to request that the Council formally
review this decision.  If you wish to do so, please write to the Records
Manager, Information Governance Unit, Legal and Civic Services, Belfast
City Council, City Hall, Belfast, BT1 5GS or send an email to
[1][email address]

 

Should you remain dissatisfied following the Council’s internal review;
you can seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner. 
Requests for an independent review should be made in writing to: The
Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.  However, I would advise you that the Information Commissioner
has indicated that a review will not be undertaken unless the Council has
first had an opportunity to re-consider its decision.

 

If you have any queries about this email, please contact me.

 

Regards, Margaret

 

 

Margaret Higgins, Lead Officer – Community Provision: Capacity, Funding
and Partnerships

City & Neighbourhood Services | Belfast City Council | Cecil Ward
Building, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP

Tel 028 90320202| ext 3547 |[mobile number] | Email:
[email address]

[2]www.belfastcity.gov.uk | [3]www.twitter.com/belfastcc |
[4]www.facebook.com/belfastcitycouncil

 

For information on how Belfast City Council may use your personal data
visit [5]www.belfastcity.gov.uk/privacy

 

 

 

 

 

From: Jade O'Sullivan <[6][FOI #935519 email]>
Sent: 12 January 2023 23:04
To: FOI <[7][email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Freedom of Information request - Period Poverty Actions

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside our organisation. Do not
click links, open attachments, or enter any details unless you recognise
the sender and know the content is safe. If you think the email is
suspicious please contact [8][email address].

Dear Belfast City Council,

Under Freedom of Information Act I request;

- all documentation relating to your council's actions to combat period
poverty.

Yours faithfully,

Jade O'Sullivan

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
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show quoted sections

Dear Margaret Higgins,

I mean for example any council minutes relating to decisions to help with period poverty or perhaps action plans.

Yours sincerely,

Jade O'Sullivan

Margaret Higgins, Belfast City Council

Dear Ms O’Sullivan,

 

Thank you for clarifying, I will respond within the time frame.

 

Regards, Margaret

 

 

Margaret Higgins, Lead Officer – Community Provision: Capacity, Funding
and Partnerships

City & Neighbourhood Services | Belfast City Council | Cecil Ward
Building, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP

Tel 028 90320202| ext 3547 |[mobile number] | Email:
[email address]

[1]www.belfastcity.gov.uk | [2]www.twitter.com/belfastcc |
[3]www.facebook.com/belfastcitycouncil

 

For information on how Belfast City Council may use your personal data
visit [4]www.belfastcity.gov.uk/privacy

 

 

 

 

 

From: Jade O'Sullivan <[FOI #935519 email]>
Sent: 02 February 2023 00:02
To: Margaret Higgins <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Re: [EXTERNAL]Freedom of Information request - Period
Poverty Actions

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside our organisation. Do not
click links, open attachments, or enter any details unless you recognise
the sender and know the content is safe. If you think the email is
suspicious please contact [5][email address].

Dear Margaret Higgins,

I mean for example any council minutes relating to decisions to help with
period poverty or perhaps action plans.

Yours sincerely,

Jade O'Sullivan

show quoted sections

Margaret Higgins, Belfast City Council

2 Attachments

Dear Ms O’Sullivan,

 

Further to your email dated 2 February 2023, Belfast City Council is now
in a position to issue its response to the freedom of information request
you submitted on 12 January 2023. 

 

I can confirm that the Council holds the information you have requested
and has decided that it can be disclosed into the public domain. 
Accordingly, this information is provided below and in the attached
documentation. 

 

The Council produces Gender Action plans which aim to raise awareness of
and address gender inequalities within Belfast City Council, in service
design and our policies.  I have provided copies of the Gender Action Plan
2021 – 24 and Gender Action Plan 2021 – 24 (Year 2) as Appendices 1 and 2
to this letter.

 

In 2021 Belfast City Council’s Gender Action Plan contained the following
action in relation to period poverty;

 

• Explore how the council can support and raise awareness around period
poverty and agree actions that the Council can undertake to help
alleviate period poverty in our city .

 

In 2022 Belfast City Council’s Gender Action Plan contained the following
actions in relation to period poverty;

 

• Deliver a pilot to provide free period products for staff;
• Deliver a pilot to provide free period products for the public in
Council buildings and facilities;
• Evaluate both pilots and assess costs for future provision; and
• Fund a pilot to make available reusable period products for staff.

 

You can access information on all relevant papers relating to period
poverty by visiting [1]Search decision-making documentation
(belfastcity.gov.uk) and searching ‘period poverty’.

 

Furthermore, you may find it useful to view the minutes of the Strategic
Policy and Resources meeting on 18^th February 2022, item 9f.  [2]Agenda
for Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Friday, 18th February,
2022, 9.30 am - Belfast City Council (www.internalminutes)

 

Please note that if this information is to be published it should be
attributed to being Belfast City Council’s response to a Freedom of
Information request. 

 

If you are dissatisfied with how the Council handed your request for
information, you have the right to request that the Council formally
review this decision.  If you wish to do so, please write to the Records
Manager, Information Governance Unit, Legal and Civic Services. Belfast
City Council, City Hall, Belfast, BT1 5GS or send an email to
[3][email address]

 

Should you remain dissatisfied following the Council’s internal review,
you can seek an independent review from the information Commissioner. 
Requests for an independent review should be made in writing to: The
Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.  However, I would advise you that the Information Commissioner
has indicated that a review will not be undertaken unless the Council has
first had an opportunity to re-consider its decision.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Margaret Higgins

 

 

Margaret Higgins, Lead Officer – Community Provision: Capacity, Funding
and Partnerships

City & Neighbourhood Services | Belfast City Council | Cecil Ward
Building, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP

Tel 028 90320202| ext 3547 |[mobile number] | Email:
[email address]

[4]www.belfastcity.gov.uk | [5]www.twitter.com/belfastcc |
[6]www.facebook.com/belfastcitycouncil

 

For information on how Belfast City Council may use your personal data
visit [7]www.belfastcity.gov.uk/privacy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enc

 

 

From: Jade O'Sullivan <[FOI #935519 email]>
Sent: 02 February 2023 00:02
To: Margaret Higgins <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Re: [EXTERNAL]Freedom of Information request - Period
Poverty Actions

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside our organisation. Do not
click links, open attachments, or enter any details unless you recognise
the sender and know the content is safe. If you think the email is
suspicious please contact [8][email address].

Dear Margaret Higgins,

I mean for example any council minutes relating to decisions to help with
period poverty or perhaps action plans.

Yours sincerely,

Jade O'Sullivan

show quoted sections