Ian Benson

Email: ian.benson22@btinternet.com
25 May 2010

Dear Mr. Benson

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
Please find below response to your information requests received on 26 April
2010.
Q1 Does your institution provide any information or advice to students or staff
on any potential liability under Terrorism legislation which might result from
accessing materials for teaching or research ? If so please provide copies of
any documents held which detail or refer to such information or advice.
No.

Q2 Does your institution have any kind of procedure to review or assess reading
lists, module descriptors or other teaching materials which explicitly or in
practice considers questions of safety and risk under terrorism legislation as
part of its remit ? For example does the institution have anything similar or
analogous to the 'module review process' established at Nottingham University
described here :
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=407122;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/03/nottingham-censorship-a-defence;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-
of-academic-freedom
If so please supply full details of this policy and procedure and advise when
and how it was decided upon and implemented.
No.
Q3 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
dealing with any potential actions taken by the authorities against the
institution, its students or staff under Terrorism legislation ? If so please
supply a copy of the policy and advise the date it was decided upon and
implemented.

No. The University cooperates as required on a case-by-case basis with security

agencies.
Q4 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
preventing violent extremism as recommended for example in the government
guidance document Promoting Good Campus Relations
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.dius.gov.uk/publicati
ons/extremismhe.pdf
Please indicate what procedures or policy exist and advise when it was decided
upon and implemented, and provide copies of any documents held which detail or
refer to such policy or procedures.
In November 2005 a University Executive Committee Working Group was established
to consider the ECU/SCOP/UUK Guidelines Promoting Good Campus Relations:
Dealing with hates crimes and intolerance . A second working group considered
the Department of Education and Skills guidelines Promoting Good Campus
Relations: Working with Staff and Students to build Community Cohesion and
Tackle Violent Extremism in the Name of Islam at Universities and Colleges .
Both working groups predate the guidance document in the link you provided.
They developed initiatives to promote good campus relations and enable the
University to fulfil its duty to promote tolerance, community cohesion and
freedom of expression within the law.
The University has a long standing Code of Practice on Freedom of Expression
Relating to Meetings or Other Activities on University Premises which was
approved by Council at its meeting on 7 July 1987 and amended at its meetings on
16 July 1997 and 5 July 2006.
Currently issues, activities and initiatives relating to the good campus
relations agenda are kept under regular review by the Student Experience
Sub-Committee of University Senate.
The University s Diversity and Equality Department also publishes information
which might be of interest at
www.dur.ac.uk/diversity.equality/campus_relations/.
It is not clear whether this type of information would meet the needs of your
request. If you have any questions about the information provided do not
hesitate to contact me at info.access@durham.ac.uk.
Yours sincerely
Joshua McKim
Deputy Records Manager
Governance Support Unit
From: ian.benson22@btinternet.com [mailto:ian.benson22@btinternet.com]
Sent: 26 April 2010 12:04
To: ian.benson22@btinternet.com
Subject: FOI Request - Terrorism Legislation
FOI Request Terrorism Legislation
I would like to request the following information under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act. I would ask you to send your response by e-mail.
Q1 Does your institution provide any information or advice to students or staff
on any potential liability under Terrorism legislation which might result from
accessing materials for teaching or research ? If so please provide copies of
any documents held which detail or refer to such information or advice.
Q2 Does your institution have any kind of procedure to review or assess reading
lists, module descriptors or other teaching materials which explicitly or in
practice considers questions of safety and risk under terrorism legislation as
part of its remit ? For example does the institution have anything similar or
analogous to the 'module review process' established at Nottingham University
described here :
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=407122;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/03/nottingham-censorship-a-defence;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-
of-academic-freedom
If so please supply full details of this policy and procedure and advise when
and how it was decided upon and implemented.
Q3 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
dealing with any potential actions taken by the authorities against the
institution, its students or staff under Terrorism legislation ? If so please
supply a copy of the policy and advise the date it was decided upon and
implemented.
Q4 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
preventing violent extremism as recommended for example in the government
guidance document Promoting Good Campus Relations
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.dius.gov.uk/publicati
ons/extremismhe.pdf
Please indicate what procedures or policy exist and advise when it was decided
upon and implemented, and provide copies of any documents held which detail or
refer to such policy or procedures.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Ian Benson
10 County House Mews, Monkgate, York YO31 7NR 01904 673880