Ben Addison

by email.

28/8/08

Our ref: FOI15/08/08-144059

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST ON DNA PROBES

Dear Mr Addison

I am responding to your request to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) dated 12/8/08 concerning information on the DNA probes developed by Wetton and Parkin (original request below).

We have carried out searches across our Research Centres but we have not discovered any information other than that which is already in the public domain.

Information on particular areas of NERC funding is available via our Grants on the Web system http://gotw.nerc.ac.uk. This site holds information about the current and past research projects, and masters training grants, that are funded by the NERC through various awards. The site is searchable on a number of fields including the name of Principal Investigator. A Dr DT Parkin is listed on the site but as of today's date holds no awards.

Although we cannot find any information on Wetton and Parkin internally we note that their work has been published in open scientific literature. One example is quoted in this Nature paper from 1987 referenced below:

Wetton, J.H., Carter, R.E., Parkin, D.T. & Walter, D.  1987.
Demographic study of a wild house sparrow population by DNA fingerprinting.
Nature, 327(6118): 147-149.

Notes at the end of the paper state that "The work was funded by NERC and the Nuffield Foundation". This paper will be available to you through a library should you wish to access it.

I hope this has been some help to you, however, if you are unhappy with the way that NERC has handled your request you may ask for an internal review. You should contact the NERC Complaints Officer at our Swindon Office to request such a review:

Natural Environment Research Council

Polaris House,

North Star Avenue

Swindon

Wiltshire SN2 1EU

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you then have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House. Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

C D Pelton

Freedom of Information Office

NERC

[NERC request email]

Tel: 02380 596288

or 01793 411730

Original Request - 12/8/08 by e-mail

Subject:  Freedom of Information request - DNA techniques

Dear Sir or Madam,

    could i please have any information regarding the DNA probes

    developed by Wetton, J. H.; Parkin, D. T. Also any information you

    have regarding the funding of their research and all information

    regarding the techniques viability.

    Yours faithfully,

    benjamin Addison

ben addison [FOI #1700 email]