Dear Mr Errington

PROVISION OF REQUESTED INFORMATION

Thank you for your request for answers to a number of questions relating to an extract from Hansard, which we received on 20 May 2009. Your request has been considered under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

The answers to the questions you raised are below:

Part 1

Q1 - We do not hold this information, this is a matter for the relevant police force or the CPS;

Q2 - We do not hold this information, this is a matter for the relevant police force or the CPS;

Q3 - We do not hold this information, this is a matter for the relevant police force or the CPS;

Q4 - The information we have available on this project will shortly be published on the Animal Health Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service website;

Q5 - It is not clear to which results you are referring. However, the results of inspections carried out by Defra/Animal Health Wildlife Inspectors on individuals is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act and therefore not publicly available;

Q6 - It is not clear to which results you are referring; however, the information we have available about the research project carried out by Nottingham University will shortly be published on the Animal Health Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service website. The DNA project undertaken by Nottingham University came to a natural conclusion it was not stopped;

Q7 - This is a repeat of Q6;

Q8 - This is a repeat of Q6.

Part 2

Q1 - Copies of requested documents are not held by Animal Health, this is a matter for Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs);

Q2 - The information we have available on this project will shortly be published on the Animal Health Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service website;

Q3 - I would refer you to Statutory Instrument 'The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule 4) Order 1994' SI.1994 No. 1151.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by Animal Health will have been produced by government officials and will be Crown Copyright. You can find details on the arrangements for re-using Crown copyright on OPSI (Office of Public Sector Information) at:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm

Information you receive which is not subject to Crown Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non Crown Copyright) information.

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the Freedom of Information Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations 2004, all information is assumed to be releasable to the public unless exempt. The information you requested may now be published on our website together with any related information that will provide a key to its wider context.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. I also attach an Annex giving contact details should you be unhappy with the services you have received.

Yours sincerely

[by email]

C D Cotterill

Animal Health Information Manager

Direct Line 01905 768660

Fax 01905 768866

Email [Animal Health request email]

Annex A

Complaints

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint, you should write to Ms Catherine McHugh, Information Systems Policies and Strategies, Animal Health Business Development Division, Spur 6, Block C, Government Buildings, Whittington Road, Worcester WR5 2LQ, who will arrange for an internal review of your case.

If you are unhappy with the result of your request, your appeal must be received by Animal Health within 40 working days of the date of this letter. Appeals received after this deadline will not be accepted.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Please note that generally the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have first exhausted the Animal Health complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF