Mr. David Mellett:

I can speak to the question on CARO. CARO was initially set up in 2018 with the main aim of adaptation but that role has been expanded. The report published last year by the Climate Change Advisory Council identified the potential that is within CARO to drive this on. We identified a resource in respect of adaptation to specialise in that area. Similarly with the role of energy, it is to support the local authorities on their own energy transitions but also to provide support to communities and planners to mobilise that element of climate action. I refer to the need for a planning and green specialist to help to co-ordinate and roll out green solutions. I refer to the need for a data specialist as a shared resource across the four local authorities, particularly in the context of adaptation. There are many data sets relating to risk and there is a need for a person to collate and manage those.

As regards funding, once the projects have been identified, there is a need to ascertain what funding sources are available. That will be the role of a specialist who can examine what national and European funding is available and help local authorities to capture that. I refer to the whole area of communicating climate action and, in particular, the good work that has been done by local authorities and communities. It is about communicating policies and funding streams to local authorities but also to communities.