The purpose of this information is to advise you of your rights under the Data Protection Act 1998 and explain the way in which these rights can be exercised.
| Quicklinks to the questions are below: |  |
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| What is the Data Protection Act 1998? | |
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It is a revised law which came into force at the end of October 1998. It was introduced to protect personal data, that is data about individuals, no matter how it is processed, what it is processed for, or who processes it.
| How does it protect personal data about you? | |
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By setting rules and conditions which all users of personal information, such as this Authority (the Act calls us Controllers), must obey when obtaining and using information about you. The Act also provides you with certain rights which the controllers must respect.
- To ask the Authority if it holds personal information about you.
- To ask what it uses the information for.
- To be given a copy of the information.
- To be given details about the purposes for which the Authority uses the information and of other organisations or persons to whom it is disclosed.
- To ask for incorrect data to be corrected.
- To ask the Authority not to use personal information about you for direct marketing; which is likely to cause damage or distress
- To compensation for damage or distress should these be caused by our failure to comply with certain requirements of the Act.
| Why do we keep personal information? | |
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So that we can provide you with the services you require and maintain a record of the services provided.
| What services does the Authority provide? | |
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This Authority provides the following:
- Consumer Advice and Protection
- Education
- Highways, Transport and Waste Management
- Library, Leisure and Heritage Services
- Planning and Environment
- Social Care & Health
| Does the Authority need your consent to use information about you for any of these purposes? | |
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Normally data is to be used for the purpose it has been collected. However, occasionally consent may be gained when using data for a different purpose from that which it was gathered. Consent is not required where we are obliged under law to assist in the prevention and detection of crime. All application forms and requests for information explain why we require the information requested and whether or not we need your consent.
| How do you ask to see information about you? | |
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You must write to the Authority, to the address below, asking to see your records. You will need to provide your name and address and any other details that could help the Authority find your information. A request form specifically for this purpose is available from the address below or from Data Protection - making an access request
You will also need to enclose the appropriate fee, see below. The Authority then needs to comply with your request within 40 days.
| Do you have to pay to see your information? | |
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A fee of £10 needs to be sent along with your request to see your records. This should be in the form of a cheque made payable to "Shropshire County Council".
| What information will you receive? | |
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All of the information the Authority holds about you on both its computer systems and in manual records or recorded on any other material, a description of the purposes for which we process your data, a list of others to whom it is disclosed and information regarding the source of the data.
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 another 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 properly withheld.
| How will you be given the information? | |
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You will be given a copy to keep and check for accuracy. This will either be a printout from the computer or a photocopy of your manual records. Alternatively, where there are large volumes of information held, you will be requested to review the information prior to copying.
| What do you do if the data is incorrect? | |
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You must write to the Authority telling it what data is incorrect and asking for the data to be corrected. The Authority must tell you what it has done within 21 days of receiving your request. If the Authority does not agree that the information is incorrect you can ask it to record your disagreement on your records. You can also appeal to the Information Commissioner or the Courts if the Authority does not correct the information.
| What do you do if you think you have not been given all of the information you asked for? | |
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You can appeal to the Authority directly by contacting the Data Protection Officer or you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner's staff will look into the matter on your behalf.
| How can you prevent the Authority from using information about you for Direct Marketing or stop it from using information for a purpose which could cause you damage or distress? | |
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If you think that the use of your data could cause you damage or distress you must write to the Authority asking them to not to use it, stating your reasons.
| What can you claim compensation for? | |
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If the Authority has broken any of the rules or conditions established by the Act and you have suffered damage or distress you may be able to claim compensation. You may also be able to claim compensation if the damage or distress was caused by our use of inaccurate data.
| How do you make a claim for compensation? | |
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Claims are made through the Courts which will only be supported if you can show that the Authority had not taken reasonable care to ensure it complied with the Act. In the case of the use of inaccurate data the Courts will need to be satisfied that you have suffered damage as a result of our use of your data.
| Does the Authority provide help in understanding the information? | |
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Yes, if you need help with the information provided or the application form, please contact us for assistance.
The address to which requests for access should be sent is given below:
Shropshire County Council
 | Data Protection Officer |
 | +44 (0) 1743 252774 |
 | +44 (0) 1743 255901 |
 | Shirehall
Abbey Foregate
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY2 6ND |
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