Repatriation of human remains

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, West Dunbartonshire Council should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

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

David MacNaughton, West Dunbartonshire Council

1 Attachment

 
[1][IMG]
Dear Sir/Madam
 
This is to acknowledge receipt of your request for information which was
received by West Dunbartonshire Council on 
10/12/2018.                            
 
I have passed it to the relevant department to consider and respond.
 
West Dunbartonshire Council will respond within 20 working days of
receipt, by           
11/01/2019.
 
I also attach a copy of West Dunbartonshire Council current Freedom of
Information charging regime for your information.
 
 
 
 
 
The information contained in this message is confidential and is intended
for the addressee only. If you have received this message in error or
there are any problems please notify the originator immediately at -
[email address] The unauthorised use, disclosure,
copying or alteration of this message is strictly forbidden. West
Dunbartonshire Council will not be liable for direct, special, indirect or
consequential damages arising from alteration of the contents of this
message by a third party or as a result of any virus being passed on.
Unless expressly stated to the contrary, this email and its contents shall
not have any contractually binding effect on West Dunbartonshire Council
or its clients and any writings which are or could form the basis of any
agreement are subject to contract.

References

Visible links
1. http://newintranet.west-dunbarton.gov.uk...

Allan Gordon, West Dunbartonshire Council

1 Attachment

Angela Wilson Council Offices 

Executive Director of Transformation & Public Sector 16 Church Street
Reform
Dumbarton
 
G82 1QL
Peter Hessett
 
Strategic Lead - Regulatory
Tel:  (01389) 737000
 
 
Our Ref: FOI 18/2014985

Your Ref:    

Date: 10/12/18

 

 

[email address]

 

 

Dear Maciej Wojtowicz,

 

Freedom of Information Request

 

Information Requested

 

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?

 

Response

 

1. 0

2. a) 0

b) 0

c) 0

3. 0

4. Not applicable

5. Not applicable

6. 0

      

This information has been disclosed in terms of the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002. Information disclosed to you may be subject to
copyright laws. By providing this information West Dunbartonshire Council
does not waive copyright nor does it create or provide a right to publish,
disclose, reproduce, re-use or alter this information without consent of
those parties holding the copyright.

 

Review Procedure

 

If you are dissatisfied with this decision or the way in which West
Dunbartonshire Council has dealt with your request, you are entitled to
require the Council to review its decision.  Please note that in order for
a review to take place, you must:

 

o lodge a written “requirement for review” within 40 working days of the
date of this notice
o include your address for correspondence, a description of the original
request and the 

reasons why you are dissatisfied

o Send your review request to the following address:

 

 

FOI Review

Regulatory Services

West Dunbartonshire Council

Council Offices

Garshake Road

Dumbarton

G82 3PU

 

Email: [1][West Dunbartonshire Council request email]

 

Staff not involved in the original decision will handle the review. You
will receive notice of the result of your review within 20 working days. 
It will explain the findings of the review as well as details of how to
appeal to the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner if you are
dissatisfied with the review decision reached by West Dunbartonshire
Council.

 

Their contact details are as follows:-

 

The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle

Doubledykes Road

St Andrews

Fife KY16 9DS

 

      Email:  [2][email address]

      Tel:                   (01334) 464610

      Website:        [3]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal.

 

If you have any further queries about this process, please contact me at
the telephone number below.

 

Stephen Wight

Freedom of Information Officer

01389 737227

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Allan Gordon

 

Service Improvement Librarian, West Dunbartonshire Council

Tel: 01389 737629

Email: [4][email address]

Mobile:  07747760575

 

 

 

 

 

The information contained in this message is confidential and is intended
for the addressee only. If you have received this message in error or
there are any problems please notify the originator immediately at -
[email address] The unauthorised use, disclosure,
copying or alteration of this message is strictly forbidden. West
Dunbartonshire Council will not be liable for direct, special, indirect or
consequential damages arising from alteration of the contents of this
message by a third party or as a result of any virus being passed on.
Unless expressly stated to the contrary, this email and its contents shall
not have any contractually binding effect on West Dunbartonshire Council
or its clients and any writings which are or could form the basis of any
agreement are subject to contract.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[West Dunbartonshire Council request email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://sut1.co.uk/sLJ85vvXsn0TubvZhN-G9P....
4. mailto:[email address]