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Data protection act

The Data Protection Act 1998 has been in force for a number of years now and is complimentary to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which came into force on January 1, 2005.

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).

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 to the Information Commissioner and they must follow sound and proper practices by applying the Data Protection Principles.

A copy of the Act can be viewed at Her Majesty's Stationery Office website.

View the Bridgnorth District Council Data Protection Policy.

You can make a subject access request online.

For more information contact the Head of Legal and Democratic Services:

Legal and Democratic Services
Bridgnorth District Council
Westgate
Bridgnorth
Shropshire
WV16 5AA
Tel: 01746 713116
Email: Legal@bridgnorth-dc.gov.uk
Fax:01746 764414

County Council

As Shropshire County Council provides services that cover Bridgnorth District the data protection pages on the County Council site may affect you too.