Repatriation of human remains

Scottish Borders Council did not have the information requested.

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

Freedom of Information, Scottish Borders Council

Dear Maciej Wójtowicz

I acknowledge receipt of your request for information relating to the
above and shall respond within the relevant 20 working day period.

Yours sincerely

Information Management Team

Scottish Borders Council

0300 100 1800

[1][Scottish Borders Council request email]

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How are you playing [7]#yourpart to help us keep the Borders thriving?

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Freedom of Information, Scottish Borders Council

Dear Maciej Wójtowicz

 

The above request is exempt under S39(2) Environmental Information of
FOISA  therefore we respond under the Environmental Information (Scotland)
Regulations 2004.

 

The following response was prepared and provided on behalf of Commercial
Services:

 

The responsibility for managing the Council’s Cultural Services was
devolved to Live Borders in April 2016.  Therefore we give notice under
S17 of FOI(S)A 2002 and declare that this information is not held. You can
contact Live Borders at
[1]https://www.liveborders.org.uk/freedomof...

 

I should advise that you have a right to request a review within 40
working days from the date we respond to your request.  You should either
e-mail [2][Scottish Borders Council request email] or write to the Information Manager,
Scottish Borders Council, Council HQ, Newtown St. Boswells TD6 0SA.

 

If after the Council’s FOI Advice Group have considered your review and
you are still not happy with the decision you then have a right to appeal
to the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, you do this either
by visiting [3]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appea... or by post to: 
Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St. Andrews, fife KY16 9DS.

Yours sincerely

for the

Information Management Team

Scottish Borders Council

Newtown St Boswells

TD6 0SA

E mail:  [email address]

Tel: 0300 100 1800

 

 

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References

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1. https://www.liveborders.org.uk/freedomof...
2. mailto:[Scottish Borders Council request email]
3. http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal