FOI2025/00476: Use of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Case reference FOI2025/00476
Received 2 May 2025
Published 29 July 2025
Last amended 29 July 2025
Request
Request received: 02 May 2025
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 for the disclosure of information relating to the use of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (ASPA)1986.
1. Please confirm whether the attached non-technical summary (NTS), titled "Pharmacology and physiology of CNS neurotransmission", which was originally granted between January and June 2022, is the NTS for a project licence that is or was held by your institution.
2. If this NTS is for a project licence that is or was held by your institution, please provide a redacted copy of the license.
3. If the NTS is for a project licence held by your institution, please confirm whether the Forced Swim Test (FST) or forced swimming procedures have been conducted under it.
4. If the Forced Swim Test has been conducted under the project licence, please confirm:
a. How many animals were used in the FST
b. Which species was used in the FST
c. The purpose for which the animals were used in the FST
Response
Response sent: 03 June 2025
I can neither confirm nor deny whether UK Research and Innovate (UKRI) holds the information you have requested.
Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that information is exempt from disclosure if such disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person or organisation.
Section 43(3) provides an exclusion from the duty placed on a public authority such as UKRI to confirm or deny the existence of the information, if the act of confirming or denying would itself result in prejudicing the commercial interests of any person or organisation. We believe that is the case in regard to your request.
Section 43 is a qualified exemption, and a test was carried out to determine whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs public interest in disclosure.
Public interest in favour of disclosure
• It would promote accountability and transparency by public authorities for decisions taken with regard to public expenditure.
Public interest in favour of withholding the information
• We believe that the act itself of confirming or denying if we hold relevant information would make it possible, through the process of elimination, to narrow down which organisations do or do not hold this licence, where the release of this information is prohibited under section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
• This position is supported by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit1, who oversee ASPA: “… information you provide to the Home Office as part of a licence application is considered by us to be information provided in confidence and the release of this information is prohibited under section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.”
• Whilst UKRI endeavour to responds to requests for information under FOI on their own merits, we must also consider disclosure of information within the context and boundaries of legislative obligations that must be adhered to.
• Breaching the commercial interest may also adversely affect future negotiation opportunities for UKRI. UKRI may be seen as a 'confidentiality' risk if it routinely releases information relating to business arrangements into the public domain, particularly where this concerns third party information.
We have concluded, taking the above arguments into consideration, that the public interest in maintaining the
exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure therefore the information is exempt from disclosure.
The fact section 43(3) of the FOIA has been cited should not be taken as an indication that the information you requested is or is not held by UKRI.
Documents
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