Data Protection and Freedom of Information

The Difference Between FOI and DPA (Data Protection Act)

If you wish to obtain information about yourself, then the Data Protection Act 1998 will apply and you should make a subject Access Request.

If the information that you are looking for is not about you, but in relation to a public authority, then the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will apply.

The Act gives you a general right of access to ‘recorded’ information held by public authorities.

Freedom of Information

A1 Housing Bassetlaw Ltd will undertake its responsibilities with regard to the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) that came into force on 1 January 2005. The FOI Act obliges A1 Housing Bassetlaw Ltd to provide information that it holds if requested. This requirement will include information supplied to us by potential suppliers.

As part of our response to the FOI Act we will attempt to ensure that we only ask potential suppliers for information that we need to enable us to make a procurement decision. In the same manner we will ensure that information provided by suppliers that is found to be no longer needed by the Council will be destroyed. The Council will comply with the spirit of openness required by the Act and so will only consider confidentiality agreements with potential suppliers where this is absolutely necessary.

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. It 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.

The Data Protection Act gives us as an ALMO guidlines on how we should process, keep and finally destroy any personal information which is held by the ALMO

For information email: customer.services@a1housing.co.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).

A copy of A1 Housing's Data Protection Policy can be downloaded here.

To obtain further information regarding Data Protection, see the Data Protection Policy