Laxey Weir works & and resulting flooding

Summary

The requester sought correspondence between the Department of Home Affairs, MUA, and contractors regarding the Laxey Weir flooding and predicted weather on 1st October 2019. The authority disclosed a Met Office weather warning and a redacted Multi-Agency Report but confirmed it held no direct correspondence with the MUA or contractors on the specific topics requested.

Key Facts

• The Department of Home Affairs does not hold correspondence between its staff and the MUA or contractors regarding the 'hole in the wall' or predicted weather.
• The only pre-incident information held was a Yellow Weather Warning issued by the Met Office at Ronaldsway on 30th September 2019.
• A redacted copy of the Multi-Agency Report into the events of 1st October 2019 was provided.
• The Department stated it would cooperate fully with the independent review of the flooding events.
• A Liaison Officer, Richard Kennish, was appointed by the Cabinet Office to assist residents following the floods.

Data Disclosed

• 1st October 2019
• 30th September 2019
• 10am
• 15 November 2019
• 11 December 2019
• 3rd December 2019
• 1051961
• 694317
• Yellow Warning

Original Request

Good Afternoon, At the public meeting held at the Pavillion there was a mention of an exchange of emails between government departments and the MUA and the contractors advising of the expected bad weather of 1st October 2019. Please could you share all correspondence between your department and also the MUA and Contractors that reference the 'hole in the wall' and/or the inclement weather that was predicted. Please also share related/associated correspondence in the days before and after the tragic events of 1st October 2019. Kind regards

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Chief Executive's Office DHA Headquarters Tromode, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 5AP

Telephone: (01624) 694313 Fax: (01624) 621298 Web address: www.gov.im/dha Email: GeneralEnquiries.DHA@dha.gov.im

Our ref: 1051961 11 December 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 15 November 2019 and which states:

"Good Afternoon, At the public meeting held at the Pavillion there was a mention of an exchange of emails between government departments and the MUA and the contractors advising of the expected bad weather of 1st October 2019. Please could you share all correspondence between your department and also the MUA and Contractors that reference the 'hole in the wall' and/or the inclement weather that was predicted. Please also share related/associated correspondence in the days before and after the tragic events of 1st October 2019. Kind regards"

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.
I have detailed below the information that is held. At the public meeting held at the Pavillion there was a mention of an exchange of emails between government departments and the MUA and the contractors advising of the expected bad weather of 1st October 2019. I can find no information that any DHA ( in particular Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service and Civil Defence) staff were involved in conversations with members of the MUA or the contractor, nor is it likely that that this would have happened. The only information held prior to the incident at Laxey was the weather report issued by the Met Office at Ronaldsway sent out Monday 30th September 2019 at 10am as a Yellow Warning. (Copy attached)

Please could you share all correspondence between your department and also the MUA and Contractors that reference the 'hole in the wall' and/or the inclement weather that was predicted. I can find no information that any DHA ( in particular Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service and Civil Defence) staff were involved in conversations with members of the MUA or the contractor, nor is it likely that that this would have happened. The only information held prior to the incident at Laxey was the weather report issued by the Met Office at Ronaldsway. The Department would not have been involved in correspondence regarding the MUA and its contractors and you may wish to seek this information from the MUA. Please also share related/associated correspondence in the days before and after the tragic events of 1st October 2019. I emailed you on the 3rd December 2019 seeking clarification of your request and you responded:-
The Chief Minister and your CEO promised to do what they could to assist us in recovering from the devastation that has been caused, when they visited my house the day following the floods. Part of this assistance ought to be that everything is done to ensure that the independent review is independent and any correspondence that provides input and guidance into the events leading up to and following the floods is shared openly. Following the meeting the Cabinet Office appointed a Liaison Officer (Richard Kennish - 694317) who was available to all residents to assist wherever possible following the flooding. I can assure you that the Department will co-operate fully with any review and provide any and all correspondence that is required. Please also find attached a redacted copy of the Multi-Agency Report into events of 1st October 2019 which will also be provided to the review of events.

Please quote the reference number 1051961 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Department of Home Affairs