FOI Request - Contested History in Council Areas
Request 101003216153
I am interested in issues of race in the built environment
For the last year up to date, but inclusive of information and documents from work which may have begun before this period and is still being pursued by the council.
(For example, a project to identify monument may have begun in 2020, but the list compiled from this project may still be used by the council now)
1. Could you please provide any list or review/research/report/survey of locations (streets/buildings/parks), or public art (such as statues), plaques, commemorations, graves, memorials that the council has produced in relation to slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice.
In question form: “What in the built environment has the organisation, or a group working on its behalf, identified as being linked to racism, slavery, colonialism: that is, contested history?”
2. Could you please provide details of what being done to highlight, reinterpret, redisplay, or rename aspects of the environment in the council area identifying in part 1 of this request
In question form: “What work (such as adding interpretation, or information boards, or plaques close to contested monuments) has been undertaken by the council to address these legacies?
3. If applicable, can you please provide information on what is being done to address issues of slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice in council museums?
For example, what information boards have been added, what has been taken off display or put on display, what new plaques have been erected?
4. The same as for part 3, but can you provide information on how council libraries have addressed these issues
For example, have any books been specifically banned or removed from the library? Has a system of trigger warnings been established for sensitive topics?
(This can be broad, I do not need an full check of all items in the library; please do not get bogged won in this if it is likely to go over the limit)
5. For the above work to address contested history, can you please provide information any grants received by the council to pursue this work, or any payments or grants made by the council to pursue this work (for example, to a local anti-racism group tasked with identifying contested history)
6. Can you provide information on any schools in the council area that have applied to change their name in relation to issues of contested history
Response 08-02-2023
1. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
2. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
3. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
4. We do not label items to warn customers of potentially sensitive content, and would only restrict access to material in order to protect it from damage or theft, not as a form of censorship. We aim to provide a balanced collection and can track what items fall under diversity and inclusivity in our catalogue and are always happy to receive suggestions for additions to stock, but have never banned or specifically removed a book from stock due to its' content or perspective, and would never do so solely at the request of an individual or group.
5. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
6. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.