Environment Act 2021

27 Co-operation duties of public authorities and the OEP

(1) A person whose functions include functions of a public nature must co-operate with the OEP, and give it such reasonable assistance as it requests (including the provision of information), in connection with the exercise of its functions under this Act.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to—

(a) a court or tribunal,

(b) either House of Parliament,

(c) a devolved legislature,

(d) the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers, a Northern Ireland department or a Minister within the meaning of the Northern Ireland Act 1998,

(e) a person exercising a parliamentary function, or

(f) a person whose only public functions are devolved functions.

(3) A person whose public functions include devolved functions is only required to co-operate with the OEP by virtue of subsection (1) to the extent that co-operation is in relation to functions that are not devolved functions.

(4) If the OEP considers that a particular exercise of its functions may be relevant to the exercise of a devolved environmental governance function by a devolved environmental governance body, the OEP must consult that body.