The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force in 2000 and allows
you access to information the Council holds about you.
The Act also protects personal information (known as personal
data) by setting the rules and conditions which apply to all
users of personal data, such as the Council.
The Act calls users of personal data 'data controllers'. Data
controllers, such as the Council, must work within the
requirements of the Act when obtaining and using information about
you. The Information Commissioner regulates the Act and maintains a
public register of data controllers.
Detailed
information about the Act (new window) can be
found on the Information Commissioner's website.
What personal information do we hold?
Suffolk Coastal holds a vast range of information, some of which
is personal. A few examples include the data used for the
assessment and collection of Council Tax and Business Rates, data
used for benefits, grants and loans administration and data used
for electoral registration.
The Information Commissioner maintains a public register of data
controllers. Each register entry gives details of the data
controller and a general description of what the personal data held
is used for. The following links are to Council's register entries
for all the personal data we hold:
What are your rights?
Your rights under the Act are:
- To ask what personal information the Council holds about
you.
- To be given a copy of the information (a £10 charge is
payable).
- To be given details about the purposes for which the Council
use the information and of other organisations or persons to whom
it is disclosed.
- To ask for incorrect data to be corrected.
- To ask the Council not to use personal information about you
for direct marketing; which is likely to cause damage or
distress.
- To be compensated for damage or distress should these be caused
by our failure to comply with certain requirements of the
Act.
Do we need your consent to use information about
you?
Normally, personal data we hold about you has been collected for
a specific purpose. However, occasionally consent may be required
when using data for a different purpose from that for which it was
gathered. Consent is not required where we are obliged under law to
assist in the prevention and detection of crime or where the
information is required to perform a statutory function such as
collection of Council Tax. All application forms and requests for
your personal information explain why we require the information
requested and whether or not we need your consent.
If you have an enquiry or concern regarding the processing of
personal data by Suffolk Coastal District Council, please
contact:
Audit Manager & Data Protection Officer,
Suffolk Coastal District Council,
Melton Hill,
Woodbridge,
Suffolk IP12 1AU.
Telephone: 01394 383789
Email:
dp@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
National fraud initiative - Code of data matching practice
2008
Suffolk Coastal District Council is required by law to protect
the public funds it administers. It may share information provided
to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering
public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
The Audit Commission appoints the auditor to audit the accounts
of this authority. It is also responsible for
carrying out data matching exercises (new
window).
Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one
body against other computer records held by the same or another
body. This is usually personal information. Computerised data
matching allows fraudulent claims and payments to be identified.
Where a match is found it indicates that there is an inconsistency
which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as
to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an
investigation is carried out.
The Audit Commission currently requires us to participate in a
data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of
fraud. The Audit Commission requires this authority to provide
information it holds for this purpose. We are required to provide
particular sets of data to the Audit Commission for matching for
each exercise, and these are set out in the
Audit Commission’s handbooks (new window),
which are published on their website.
For this initiative, the Council will be providing details of
its staff, Housing Benefits claimants, Council Tax payers,
insurance claimants, concessionary travel users, market/street
trader licence holders, personal licences for the supply of alcohol
holders and private hire and taxi drivers.
The use of data by the Audit Commission in a data matching
exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers
in Part 2A of the Audit Commission Act 1998. It does not require
the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection
Act 1998.
Data matching by the Audit Commission is subject to a
code of practice (new window) which can also be
found on their website.
Follow this link for
further information on the Audit Commission’s legal
powers (new window) and the reasons why it matches particular
information.
Requesting access to information we hold
If you wish to make a request to receive information held about
you by the Council, you will need to print out and complete a
subject access request form (new window PDF
22KB). Follow this link for
help with
PDF files.
We may ask for proof of identity. A fee of £10 is payable
and should be sent with your completed subject access request form
to:
Audit Manager & Data Protection Officer,
Suffolk Coastal District Council,
Melton Hill,
Woodbridge,
Suffolk IP12 1AU.
Cheques should be made payable to Suffolk Coastal District
Council.
If you have any data protection questions you can email the
Audit Manager & Data Protection Officer at
dp@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
There are circumstances where a data controller may not be able
to provide you with all of the information they hold about you. For
example, where information will be disclosed relating to a third
person, a data controller may need to obtain permission to provide
you with the information. There are other circumstances that may
result in information being exempt from disclosure -
more about exempt information (new window)
can be found on the Information Commissioner's website.
What happens next?
The Act allows local authorities 40 days in which to collate and
prepare the information requested. You will be given a copy of the
information we hold to keep and check for accuracy. This will
either be a printout from a database or a photocopy of your manual
records.
If the data is incorrect you must write to us and tell us what
data is incorrect and ask for the data to be corrected. We must
confirm it has been corrected within 21 days of receiving your
request. If we do not agree that the information is incorrect you
can ask us to record your disagreement on the record.
You also have the right to complain to the Information
Commissioner if we do not correct the information. Follow this link
for more about complaining to the Information Commissioner (new
window).
The Information Commissioner has a helpline you can
call for help and advice to solve data protection
problems on 01625 545
745.