Privacy and Data Protection
The Data Protection Act 1998
which replaced the 1984 Act received Royal assent on 16th July 1998
and came fully into force in 1999.
For information email: it.services@bassetlaw.gov.uk
As with the 1984 Act, the Act gives legal rights
to individuals (data subjects) in respect of personal data held
about them. The Act gives effect in UK law to EC Directive 95/46/EC
(the Directive).
The Council's Data Protection
Policy
Purpose of the
Act
The Data Protection Act 1998 is designed to cover
the collecting, storing, processing and distribution of personal
data. It gives rights to individuals about whom information is
recorded.
This applies to all individuals whether they are
an employee, elected member or a member of the public. Each
individual has the right to access personal data, prevent
processing likely to cause damage or distress and prevent
processing for the purposes of direct marketing.
They also have rights in relation to automated
decision taking, to take action for compensation if they suffer
damage by any contravention of the Act by the data controller, to
rectify, block, erase or destroy inaccurate data and to make a
request to the Data Protection Commissioner for an assessment to be
made of the data controller if they feel that the Act has been
contravened.
The Act places obligations on those who record
and use personal data (data controllers). They must be open about
the use of such personal data through Notification and they must
follow sound and proper practices by applying the Data Protection
Principles.
A copy of the Act can be viewed at Information Commissioners Office
website.
Last Updated - 12/12/2008