Events dates
Correspondence
- Freedom of Information questions
- Replies from Beverley Midwood
- Appeal to the OU Secretary
- Letter about BBC article
- Response from Fraser Woodburn
- Appeal to Information Commissioner
- Further response from Beverley Midwood
- Reply to Information Commissioner
- Decision Notice summary
- Animals used for Education
FoI Requests 2009 - Questions
On 13th February 2009 Doug Paulley submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Open University asking the following questions.
Relating to the use of Animals and Animal Material at the Open University:
- the number of animals used for a) education and b) research at the Open University for each of the past 10 years
- where these animals are sourced from
- the amount of animal tissue and other animal material used for a) education and b) research at the O U over the last 10 years
- where this tissue / material is sourced from
- which courses currently involve the use of animal tissue
- whether students on each courses involving experiments on animal tissue can opt out of the experiments
- whether the right to opt out is clearly advertised and whether or not it is frowned upon, formally or otherwise, or students otherwise discouraged from opting out of such experiments
- what alternatives for such use of animal materials have been considered and why they have been discounted
- which named degrees, if any, are impossible to complete without students having to take part in experiments on animals
- how many and which animals are kept on Open University premises, why they are kept, and in what conditions they are kept
- how the Open University ensures that animals on its premises are kept in as good conditions as possible
- what mechanisms the Open University has for ensuring that animals and animal tissue and other animal materials are sourced ethically
- what mechanisms you have for informing students of their use of animals
- what mechanisms you have for involving students in the monitoring of such use and the ethical basis for such use
- a copy of all correspondence relating to the request in December 2008 by OUSA’s V P Education for a report from the Biology Department on the Open University’s animal usage, including all internal staff emails on the issue and the report itself if it was produced
- a copy of all correspondence and documentation relating to the Animal Ethics Advisory Group, previously the Animal Ethical Committee, over the past year
- information as to whether students participate in the A E A G; if so how they are selected and what experience they have of the area; if not, why not
- what links, if any, the Open University has with Huntingdon Life Sciences or its parent company, Life Sciences Research, both as a customer and in terms of investment
- what policy the Open University has on investment in animal research companies (in, amongst other things, its staff pension scheme) and how it is enforced
- whether the Open University are aware of any banks of voluntarily donated human tissue and cadavers for medical research use
- whether the O U use, or could potentially use, this tissue instead of using animal materials, and if not why not
- in relation to SXR376: synthetic liquid media are supplemented with commercially available growth factors derived from animal serum; which types of growth factor are used?
- again in relation to SXR376: animal-derived biological molecules, such as antibodies, are used. Which antibodies and other biological molecules are used?
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