FAQs

INFORMATION REQUESTS

Privacy is concerned with giving protection to individuals in respect of information held about them in either the public or private sector or both.  The need to protect a person’s privacy in stored information has come to be known as ‘data protection’.

The Data Protection Act 1998 makes provision for the regulation of the processing of ALL personal information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of personal information.

The Act is designed to protect individuals from:

The use of incorrect information about them, whether that information is automatically processed, held on computers or held in non-automated filing systems, i.e. in structured paper based records

The improper use of correct information held about them and to ensure UK compliance with the European Directive on the protection of individuals’ personal data.

In addition the Act gives individuals the:

Right of Subject Access – this gives individuals some control over the details that an organisation may hold about them in information systems and the right to:

(a) Have a copy of the information

(b) Have it corrected if it is inaccurate, lost, or disclosed in circumstances when it should not have been

(c)  Claim compensation if they suffer damage and distress because that information is inaccurate, lost, or disclosed in circumstances when it should not have been.

·  Right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress.

·  Right to prevent processing for the purposes of direct marketing.

·  Rights in relation to automated decision-taking. This is where the processing of personal data is by automatic means for the purpose of evaluating matters relating to the individual, (e.g. performance at work, creditworthiness, reliability or conduct) and has constituted the sole basis for any decision significantly affecting that person. The data subject has a right in such circumstances to be informed by the Data Controller of the logic involved in that decision-taking process.

 · Right to take action for compensation if the individual suffers damage by any contravention of the Act by a Data Controller.

·  Right to take action to rectify, block, erase or destroy inaccurate data;

and the

·   Right to make a request to the Information Commissioner for an assessment to be made as to whether any provision of the Act has been contravened.