Manchester University

The complainant requested information held by several Universities, including Manchester University (the “public authority”) in relation to research it may have undertaken or be undertaking with primates. This included numbers and species of primates used in previous returns already provided to the Home Office along with a summary of any current research and the species being used. The public authority cited that the information was exempt by virtue of the exemption at section 38 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the Act’) originally neither confirming nor denying that it held the information but later varying this and claiming it was held but exempt. The Commissioner finds that the exemption is not engaged and the complaint is therefore upheld. He further finds that the public authority breached sections 1(1)(b), 10(1) and 17(1)(b).