AWERB advice regarding replacement and alternative methods to Animal testing.

Dear Georgina,

I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 13 November 2023.

Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI23-478 which should be quoted in all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than 12th December 2023.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.

Yours sincerely,

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Ebost : [email address]

Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhwy oedi.
University Secretary's Office
Cardiff University
Email: [email address]

The University welcomes correspondence in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

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Dear Georgina

Further to our email of 13th November 2023, unfortunately we are not able to provide you with a response by 12 December 2023.

We anticipate that we will require up to a further 8 working days in which provide you with a response and you can therefore expect to receive this by 22 December 2023.

We apologise for the inconvenience.

Kind regards

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Dear Georgina,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated
13^th November 2023.

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses.

Please could you share the advice given by the AWERB to the establishment
licence holder in the last 3 years specifically regarding replacements and
alternative methods to animal testing. " We note that the university is
required by law ASPA Schedule 3, Part 2, paragraph 6 (4) to keep records
of any advice given by the AWERB

Please see enclosed document.

The following exemptions have been applied to the relevant sections.

Under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I am unable to
provide a greater level of detail as the disclosure of information from
which the individuals concerned may be identified would be unfair and a
breach of the data protection principles. 

Specific information regarding the departments conducting research
involving animals has been withheld under the qualified exemption in s38
of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 entitled Health and Safety. In
reaching this decision the University has considered the duty of care owed
to staff working in the facilities. Their health and safety requires the
University to protect and maintain a safe environment which includes the
security of the sites at which they operate. In particular, consideration
has been given to the effects of disclosure concerning:

i. the welfare of employees working in those facilities (which present
particular security risks) and

ii. the University’s ability to comply with its statutory responsibilities
to staff within Health and Safety legislation and

iii. the University’s general duty of care in respect of its staff and
students.

Disclosure into the wider public domain of the information withheld under
s38(1) would be likely to prejudice both the safety of licence holders as
well as other staff and students within proximity, as it is more than a
remote possibility that the information may be used to incite and target
acts of violence and/or harassment against such staff (s38(1)(b)). Indeed
evidence of this is demonstrated by the fact that previously, when news
stories about animal experiments have appeared in the media, the
University has received letters directed against staff and the wider
University threatening physical violence and destruction of property,
which have been passed to the police. Clearly, providing further
information in relation to locations would allow direct targeting and
would substantially increase the risk of such attacks being carried out,
endangering the safety of individuals.

In the context of this existing threat, Cardiff University takes the view
(of which the Information Commissioner is mindful, see ICO Decision Notice
– No: FS50108125 para 29) that for s38 to be engaged it is sufficient to
show that the publication of information might lead to an increased threat
to the health and safety of staff, the factor being always significant no
matter how small the risk.

For the exemption to apply under Section 38 of the Act a public interest
test must be considered. In the circumstances the University considers
that the public interest in disclosing information from which specific
facilities and individuals could be located does not outweigh the factors
the University has taken into account as above concerning the health and
safety of individuals and the duty of care the University owes to both
staff and students. As such, the exemption under s38 is applicable and the
information will not be disclosed at this time.

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry.  Should you feel
dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was
handled you can request an Internal Review. This should be made in writing
within 40 working days of the date of this email. Please provide your
unique reference number of your request, information on why you are
dissatisfied and any detail you would like us to consider as part of the
Internal Review process. Email your request to
[1][email address] where it will be forwarded to the Head of
Compliance and Risk who will be responsible for overseeing the review.

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome, you have the right to
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for consideration.  The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance, please feel free to
contact me.

Kind regards,

Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office

Prifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University

Ebost : [2][email address] Email: [3][email address] 
 
 
 
The University welcomes
Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu correspondence in Welsh or English. 
gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg.  Corresponding in Welsh will not lead
Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu to any delay.
unrhwy oedi.

References

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