Data Protection

Your Rights - The Data Protection Act 1998

When you supply any personal information to this site we have legal obligations towards you in the way we deal with that data. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, we have a legal duty to protect any personal information we collect from you.

The first principles of the Data Protection Principles specifies that data must be obtained fairly and lawfully. According to the Act this basically means that anyone providing data about themselves should be made aware of:

  1. The identity of the data controller
  2. The identity of any representative nominated by the data controller
  3. The purposes for which the data are intended to be proceeded
  4. Any other information relevant to the fair processing of the data in question.

We shall look at these in turn:

  1. The Data Controller in terms of the Act is Leicestershire County Council (LCC).
  2. The Data Protection Officer is a first point of contact; there are also officers in the departments who may also deal with a data protection enquiry. The Data Protection Officer is known as the Compliance Manager and can be contacted by telephone - 0116 265 8250 or email - dpo@leics.gov.uk.
  3. Your information may be used by Leicestershire County Council in the provision of services provided to you. Your personal information will not be supplied to anyone else without first obtaining your consent, unless we are obliged or permitted by law to disclose it.
  4. The information collected is primarily used for the purposes of substantiating your identity for the purpose of logging in and adding/editing and publishing web content on the website, to make your website visit a more personal experience, and to contact you with important site information.

The Information Commissioner

The Information Commissioner enforces and oversees the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We have to notify the Information Commissioner of the types of personal data we process and for what purpose we use it for and whom we share it with. You can see what is recorded on our Data Protection Notification entry if you search for Leicestershire County Council on the Information Commissioner's Web Site www.ico.org.uk notification number Z5653111.

The Data Protection Act 1998 provides you with rights in relation to the personal data we may hold about you, namely:

  • be provided with a copy of your personal data that we process and information concerning the processing
  • prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress
  • prevent processing for the purposes of direct marketing
  • rights in relation to automated decision taking
  • take action for compensation from the Council if damage results from any breach of the Act by the Council
  • take action to rectify, block, erase or destroy inaccurate data.

Requesting a copy of your personal data

With regard to your rights to be provided with a copy of your personal data, you are entitled to this within 40 days of making the request, providing the request is in writing.

Requests must contain the information required to satisfy the Council as to the identity of the person making the request (we may require proof of your identity).

Requests must contain the information required to enable the Council to locate the information which is being sort. We will assist you where possible.

We may charge up to £10 for this data. Further information about the Data Protection Act can be obtained from:

Information Commissioner,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.
Telephone: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510
Website: www.ico.org.uk