FOI request (FOIR-181019462)

New byelaws complaint to DEFRA referred to in Cabinet 03/02/2020 briefing

Requested Fri 06 March 2020
Responded  Wed 08 April 2020

The Cabinet briefing document refers to a complaint made in 2019 to DEFRA because of the delays in dealing with the byelaws.

"10. The council, through the Chief Legal Officer, lodged an official complaint in 2019 to DEFRA over the unacceptable delay."

https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s37679/Local Nature Reserves - Byelaws.pdf

I recently requested details of this complaint from DEFRA using EIR:

"Copies of the complaint lodged by HBC and all associated correspondence"

DEFRA have responded that they hold no information concerning this complaint from HBC.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/hastings_borough_council_draft_l_2#incoming-1540718

Could you please provide me with:

1. The date that the complaint was sent to DEFRA

2. A copy of the complaint

Response

Q1 - 21 January 2019

Q2 - Information not held - the complaint was submitted online via their website and not by letter/email. Please see the auto-response below:

From: SM-Defra-Helpline, Defra (MCU)

Sent: 21 January 2019 12:11

To: ******

Subject: Thank you for your email (automatic response)

Thank you for your email. We have a target of replying to emails within 15 working days where a response is required, and 20 working days where a case is handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. If you need a reply before then, please call the Defra Helpline on 03459 33 55 77, or visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs.

We often receive thousands of identical emails each month from organised campaigns. Ministers and officials are made aware of these campaigns, but unfortunately we cannot reply to each email when such large volumes are received.

Best wishes,

Ministerial Contact Unit

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) This email and any attachments is intended for the named recipient only. If you have received it in error you have no authority to use, disclose, store or copy any of its contents and you should destroy it and inform the sender. Whilst this email and associated attachments will have been checked for known viruses whilst within Defra systems we can accept no responsibility once it has left our systems. Communications on Defra's computer systems may be monitored and/or recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes.