Public Documents:

Data Protection Policy

In accordance with best practice, the Council has agreed a Data Protection Policy that sets out the Council’s commitment to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. You can find out more about our Data Protection Policy by contacting our Data Protection Officer (details below).

To view our policy on Data Protection please select the following link.

• Data protection Policy

To view our registration at the Data Commissioners office please select the following url http://www. informationcommissioner .gov.uk/. Our registration number is Z6195933

You have a right to know about any personal information Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council holds about you. You also have a right to have any of your data corrected or deleted.

Please address any requests and/or queries you may have about Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council's data protection policy to :

Nick Latham
Data Protection Officer
Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council
Council Offices

Wallace Green

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Northumberland

TD15 1ED

01289 301782

e-mail nl@berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk

The data protection policy has been formally approved by the Council at its Policy Committee on 19th June 2002 . It applies to all employees of the Council and those who act on the Council’s behalf.

Introduction

An essential activity of the Council is the requirement to obtain and process information about its staff and customers in order to perform its various functions. This will be done in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act) and other related legislation.

The Council recognises its duty to handle personal data in a proper and confidential manner at all times, irrespective of whether the data is held on paper or by electronic means. This duty covers: -

• The obtaining of personal data
• The storage and security of personal data
• The use of personal data
• The disposal and/or destruction of personal data

The Council has a responsibility to ensure that data subjects have proper access to information that the Council holds regarding them, provided that written request is made and the appropriate fee is paid.

Obligations

In compliance with the Act the Council will: -

• Acknowledge the rights of individuals relating to personal data and ensure that these rights can be exercised as specified in the Act
• Ensure that personal data are obtained fairly and lawfully
• Ensure that personal data will only be processed for the purposes specified
• Obtain and process data in a confidential manner ensuring that the data are fit for the purposes specified, are not excessive and are disposed of when no longer required (subject to any statutory requirements)
• Ensure that necessary and sufficient steps are taken to ensure that the data are accurate and up to date
• Ensure that necessary and sufficient security measures are in place to protect data against damage, loss, misuse or inappropriate disclosure
• Ensure that transfer of data is done in a lawful manner with due regard for security.

Actions

To help discharge its obligations the Council will: -

• Nominate a “Data Protection Officer” responsible for gathering and distributing information about the Act and other related legislation
• Ensure that all activities relating to the processing of personal data have sufficient safeguards and controls in place for security of data
• Ensure that all contracts between the Council and third parties that involve processing of personal data will make reference to the obligations (previous page) and the necessity of compliance with the Act
• Ensure that employees (and others acting on behalf of the Council) understand their responsibilities under the Act and that appropriate training or instruction is given for this purpose
• Ensure that employees (and others acting on behalf of the Council) have access only to personal data that are necessary for the performance of duties
• Ensure that requests for access to personal data are dealt with in a courteous and timely manner whilst ensuring that the data subject (or authorised representative) does have a legitimate right to access the information.
• Review this policy and safeguards and controls relating to it annually to ensure that they are still relevant, efficient and effective