Repatriation of human remains

The request was successful.

Maciej Wójtowicz

Dear Sir or Madam

REPATRIATION OF HUMAN REMAINS

I am carrying out some research into the storage, retention and repatriation of non-European ethnological human remains held in UK regional museums or archives some of which are owned, managed or funded by UK local authorities.

To assist with this could you please let me have the following information under the Freedom of Information Act. All of these questions relate to human remains that are under 1,000 years of age. If your organisation is not covered by the Freedom of Information Act please consider supporting this research anyway and providing the information voluntarily. A link to the research will be provided to all contributers when it is published:

1. How many non-European human remains do you have in your collection or collections managed by organisations which you fund or control? If you do not have the exact number then please provide an approximation based on your normal method of counting.

2. How many human remains do you have in your collection which originated in:
a. Canada
b. New Zealand
c. Australia

3. How many requests for the repatriation of human remains have you had from communities, individuals or institutions outside of Europe since the Human Tissue Act 2004 came into force?

4. Of these requests, how many were:
a. Approved in full, with all of the requested remains being returned to the communities/individuals in question.
b. Approved in part with some of the requested remains being returned.
c. Not approved.
d. Still awaiting a decision.

5. For those requests which were not approved please provide a copy of the final decision letter setting out the reasons.

6. How many human remains have you repatriated to their country of origin proactively without receiving a request?

Thanking you in advance for your assistance with this important research project which should help to reconnect numerous Indigenous communities with their lost ancestors.

Yours faithfully

Maciej Wójtowicz

Freedomofinformation, Hartlepool Council

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FOI Responses, Hartlepool Council

Dear Maciej

Further to your request for information, I can advise as below;

1.How many non-European human remains do you have in your collection or collections managed by organisations which you fund or control? If you do not have the exact number then please provide an approximation based on your normal method of counting.

NONE

2. How many human remains do you have in your collection which originated in:
a. Canada
b. New Zealand
c. Australia

NONE

3.How many requests for the repatriation of human remains have you had from communities, individuals or institutions outside of Europe since the Human Tissue Act 2004 came into force?

NONE

4.Of these requests, how many were:
a. Approved in full, with all of the requested remains being returned to the communities/individuals in question.
b. Approved in part with some of the requested remains being returned.
c. Not approved.
d. Still awaiting a decision.

NOT APPLICABLE : see response to Question 3

5.For those requests which were not approved please provide a copy of the final decision letter setting out the reasons.

NOT APPLICABLE : see response to Question 3

6. How many human remains have you repatriated to their country of origin proactively without receiving a request?

NONE : see response to Question 1.

We hope that this information deals with your request, however if you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted to [email address] within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request.

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. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, www.ico.org.uk

Elena Lilley| Legal Administration Officer
Hartlepool Borough Council
Tel: (01429) 523647 | Ext: 3647
Email: [email address]

Web: hartlepool.gov.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/hartlepoolcouncil
Twitter: twitter.com/HpoolCouncil

From: Maciej Wójtowicz [mailto:[FOI #537824 email]]
Sent: 07 December 2018 16:16
To: Freedomofinformation
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Repatriation of human remains

Dear Sir or Madam

REPATRIATION OF HUMAN REMAINS

I am carrying out some research into the storage, retention and repatriation of non-European ethnological human remains held in UK regional museums or archives some of which are owned, managed or funded by UK local authorities.

To assist with this could you please let me have the following information under the Freedom of Information Act. All of these questions relate to human remains that are under 1,000 years of age. If your organisation is not covered by the Freedom of Information Act please consider supporting this research anyway and providing the information voluntarily. A link to the research will be provided to all contributers when it is published:

1.How many non-European human remains do you have in your collection or collections managed by organisations which you fund or control? If you do not have the exact number then please provide an approximation based on your normal method of counting.

2. How many human remains do you have in your collection which originated in:
a. Canada
b. New Zealand
c. Australia

3.How many requests for the repatriation of human remains have you had from communities, individuals or institutions outside of Europe since the Human Tissue Act 2004 came into force?

4.Of these requests, how many were:
a.Approved in full, with all of the requested remains being returned to the communities/individuals in question.
b.Approved in part with some of the requested remains being returned.
c.Not approved.
d.Still awaiting a decision.

5.For those requests which were not approved please provide a copy of the final decision letter setting out the reasons.

6. How many human remains have you repatriated to their country of origin proactively without receiving a request?

Thanking you in advance for your assistance with this important research project which should help to reconnect numerous Indigenous communities with their lost ancestors.

Yours faithfully

Maciej Wójtowicz

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