Request 101004054997

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I respectfully request the following recorded information:

1. Technology held or used by educational institutions

 Whether any schools, colleges or universities in the UK are known to hold, possess, operate, test, demonstrate, research or otherwise use technologies involving:

a) electromagnetic neurological stimulation;

b) remote or wireless neural interaction;

c) remote neural monitoring;

d) neurological stimulation or interference;

e) brain-computer or human-machine interfaces;

f) directed-energy systems capable of human exposure;

g) psycho-electric or similar technologies; or

h) other technologies intended to monitor, stimulate or influence neurological or sensory functions.

If so, please provide, where information is held and legally disclosable:

i. the name or description of the technology;

ii. the institution holding or using it;

iii. its stated purpose;

iv. the department or organisation responsible for it; and

v. whether students can access, encounter or participate in activities involving the technology.

2. Is this technology under institutional or government control?

Please provide any recorded information establishing whether technologies of this nature are:

a)     owned or controlled by the school, college or university;

b)     controlled by a government department;

c)      controlled by the Ministry of Defence;

d)     controlled by another public authority;

e)     controlled by a private contractor or research organisation; or

f)       subject to external regulatory or security oversight.

Please also provide any relevant policies describing who has authority or responsibility for controlling, authorising, monitoring or restricting access to such technology.

3. Student access, testing or participation

Please provide information concerning whether students have ever been:

a)     given access to such technology;

b)     selected to participate in research;

c)      monitored or observed as research participants;

d)     exposed to electromagnetic or neurological technologies as part of research or testing;

e)     invited to participate in demonstrations or experiments; or

f)       otherwise involved in research involving potential neurological or electromagnetic effects.

Where recorded information is available, please provide the relevant consent, safeguarding and ethical-approval requirements.

4. Keeping technology confidential or restricting information

Please provide any recorded policies, procedures or guidance concerning whether information about such technologies is:

a)     restricted from students;

b)     restricted from parents or guardians;

c)      classified or confidential;

d)     subject to security restrictions;

e)     withheld for national-security reasons;

f)       restricted to authorised staff or researchers; or

g)     otherwise controlled by the institution or an external authority.

I am particularly interested in whether educational institutions have been instructed to withhold information about particular technologies from students or the public, and, if so, the recorded basis for such restrictions.

5. Government, MOD and research connections

Please provide any publicly disclosable information concerning partnerships, funding, contracts or research arrangements between schools, colleges or universities and:

a)     the Ministry of Defence;

b)     UK Government departments;

c)      defence laboratories;

d)     police organisations;

e)     intelligence or security organisations;

f)       government contractors or subcontractors; or

g)     publicly funded research organisations,

where the work involves electromagnetic stimulation, neural monitoring, neurotechnology, remote neural interaction or directed-energy technologies.

6. Human protection and safeguarding

Please provide policies or guidance concerning:

a)     informed consent;

b)     human-subject research;

c)      student safeguarding;

d)     non-consensual exposure;

e)     neurological or electromagnetic experimentation;

f)       risk assessments;

g)     reporting adverse effects;

h)     complaints procedures; and

i)       whistleblowing procedures.

Please also identify, where recorded, the independent authority or regulator responsible for investigating concerns involving students or members of the public.