1. Introduction
1.1 Overview 1.2 History 1.3 Summary
2. Data Protection Act 1998
2.1 Introduction 2.2 Definitions 2.2.1 Data Controller 2.2.2 Data Processor 2.2.3 Data Subject 2.2.4 Processing 2.2.5 Relevant Filing System 2.3 Summary
3. Definitions of Personal Data
3.1 Introduction 3.2 Deceased Persons 3.3 Substantive Personal Data 3.3 Identified by Secondary reference 3.4 Third Party Data 3.5 Relevant Persons 3.6 Sensitive Personal Data 3.7 Summary
4. The Scope of the Data Protection Act
4.1 Introduction 4.2 Credit Reference Agencies 4.3 Right to stop processing 4.4 Compensation - Damage and Distress 4.5 Direct Marketing 4.6 Automated Processing 4.7 Rectification, blocking, erasure and destruction. 4.8 Notification 4.9 Summary
5. The Principles
5.1 Introduction 5.2. The Principles 5.2.1 Principle One - Fairly and lawfully processed. Schedule Two Conditions Schedule 3 Conditions 5.2.2 Principle 2 Processing for one or more purposes. 5.2.3 Principle 3 Adequate, relevant and not excessive. 5.2.4 Principle 4 Accurate and up to date 5.2.5 Principle 5 Kept for no longer than is necessary 5.2.6 Principle 6 Rights of the data subject 5.2.7 Principle 7 Secure 5.2.8 Principle 8 Outside Europe 5.3 Conclusion
6. Access to Personal Data
6.1 Introduction 6.2 Access to the data subject's personal data. 6.2.1 Subject Access Request 6.2.2 Scope of data to be released 6.2.3 Intelligible Format and Automatic Processed Data 6.2.4 Method of application 6.2.5 Fees 6.3 Access to third party data 6.4 Exemptions to section 7 requests. 6.4.1 Disproportionate effort 6.4.2 Same or similar requests 6.4.3 Trade secrets 6.4.4 Information prepared after a request 6.4.5 Credit reference agencies 6.4.6 Confidential references 6.4.7 Armed Forces, Judicial Appointments and Honours 6.4.8 Management Forecasts 6.4.9 Corporate Finance 6.4.10 Negotiations 6.4.11 Examination marks 6.4.12 Legal privilege 6.4.13 Self incrimination 6.5 Access for Crime Prevention, Detection and Taxation 6.6 Access by Health, Education and Social Work Professionals 6.7 Regulatory exemptions 6.8 Journalism, literature and Art 6.9 Research, history and statistics. 6.10 Already available to the public or by enactment 6.11 Disclosures required by law and the courts. 6.12 Domestic and recreational purposes. 6.13 Summary
7. Data Sharing
7.1 Introduction 7.2 The Guidelines 7.2 Protocols 7.4 Summary
8. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environment Information Regulations 2004
8.1 Introduction 8.2 The Freedom of Information Act 2000 8.3 The Environmental Information Regulations 2004, SI 2004/3391 8.4 The Differences between the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 8.5 The Section 45 Code of practice 8.6 Summary
9. Scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
9.1 Definition of a Public Authority 9.2 What is a request? 9.3 Definition of Environmental Data 9.4 Fees 9.5 Timescales 9.6 Dissemination of Environmental Information 9.7 Consultation 9.8 Summary
10. Application of Exemptions and Exceptions
10.1 Introduction 10.2 Exemptions under Freedom of Information Act 10.2.1 Section 21 Information accessible to the applicant by other means - (Regulation 6, Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.2 Section 22 Information intended for future publication - (Regulation 12 (4) (d) Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.3 Section 23 Information supplied by or relating to bodies dealing with security matters (Regulation 12 (5) (a), National Security, Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.4 Section 24 National Security (Regulation 12 (5) (a), National Security, Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.5 Section 25 Certificates 10.2.6 Section 26 Defence (Regulation 12 (5) (a), Defence Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.7 Section 27 International Relations (Regulation 12 (5) (a), International Relations Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.8 Section 28 Relations within the United Kingdom (Regulation 12 (4) (e), Internal Communications Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.9 Section 29 The Economy 10.2.10 Section 30 Investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities. (Regulation 12 (5) (b), ability to conduct an inquiry to conduct of a criminal or disciplinary nature - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.11 Section 31 Law Enforcement.(Regulation 12 (5) (b), course of justice - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.12 Section 32 Court Records etc.(Regulation 12 (5) (b), course of justice also Regulation 3(3) does not apply to courts - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.13 Section 33 Audit functions.(Regulation 12 (5) (b), ability of a public authority to conduct an inquiry - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.14 Section 34 Parliamentary Privilege. (There is no equivalent exception under Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.15 Section 35 Function of Government Policy etc.(Regulation 12 (4) (e), disclosure of internal communication - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.16 Section 36 Prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs. (Regulation 12 (4) (e), disclosure of internal communications- Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.17 Section 37 Communications with Her Majesty etc. and honours. (There is no equivalent exception- Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.18 Section 38 Health and Safety (Regulation 12 (5) (a), public safety- Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.19 Section 39 Environmental Information (Not relevant- Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.20 Section 40 Personal Information (Regulation 13 Personal data - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.21 Section 41 Information provided in confidence (Regulation 12 (5(d) confidentiality of proceedings- Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.22 Section 42 Legal professional privilege (No equivalent except for regulation 12(4)(e) request for internal communications Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.23 Section 43 Commercial Interest (Regulation 12(5)(e), Commercial confidentiality or Regulation 12 (5)(c) intellectual property rights -Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.24 Section 44 Prohibitions on disclosure (Not applicable - see Regulation 5 -Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.25 Section 13 Vexatious or repeated requests (Regulation 12(4)(b), Manifestly unreasonable -Environmental Information Regulations) 10.2.35 Other Exemptions (See under Chapter 10.3 below - Environmental Information Regulations) 10.3 Environmental Information Regulations -Exceptions 10.3.1 Regulation 12 (3) Personal data 10.3.2 Regulation 6 Information publicly available 10.3.3 Regulation 12(4) (a) Information not held 10.3.4 Regulation 12(4) (b) Request manifestly unreasonable 10.3.5 Regulation 12(4) (c) Request is too general 10.3.6 Regulation 12 (4) (d) Draft documents 10.3.7 Regulation 12 (4) (e) Internal communications 10.3.8 Regulation 12 (5) Adversely Effect 10.3.9 Regulation 12 (5) (a) International Relations, defence, national security or public safety. 10.3.10 Regulation 12 (5)(b) Justice and crime 10.3.11 Regulation 12 (5) (c) Intellectual Property Rights 10.3.12 Regulation 12 (5) (d) Confidentiality of proceeding 10.3.13 Regulation 12 (5) (e) Commercially Confidential 10.3.14 Regulation 12 (5) (f) Information supplied in confidence 10.3.15 Regulation 12 (5) (g) Protection of the Environment 10.4 Summary
11. The Public Interest Test
11.1 Introduction. 11.2 When and who applies the Test 11.3 What is the test? 11.4 Summary
12. Publication Schemes
12.1 Introduction 12.2 What does the scheme contain? 12.3 Summary
13. Compliance, the Information Commissioner and the Information Tribunal
13.1 Introduction 13.2 Compliance 13.3 The Information Commissioner 13.3.1 Overview 13.3.2 Decision Notices 13.3.3 Information Notices 13.3.4 Enforcement Notices 13.3.5 The Office of the Commissioner 13.4 The Information Tribunal 13.5 Summary
14. Disclosure Logs
14.1 Introduction 14.2 Benefits 14.3 Scope 14.4 Restrictions. 14.5 What goes into a disclosure log? 14.6 Maintenance 14.7 Summary
15. Records Management - Section 46 Code of Practice
15.1 Introduction 15.2 Purposes and scope of the code 15.3 Basic requirements of Records Management 15.3.1 Overview 15.3.2 Policy 15.3.3 Human Resource issues 15.3.4 Active Records Management 15.3.5 Creation and storage of Records 15.3.6 Disposal and retention periods 15.3.7 Electronic Records 15.4 Review and Transfer of Public Records 15.5 Summary
16. Other Legislation
16.1 Introduction 16.2 Human Rights Act 1998 16.3 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 16.3.1 Overview 16.3.2 Communications data 16.3.3 Surveillance 16.3.4 Summary 16.4 Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 16.5 Summary
17. Interaction of the Legislation
17.1 Introduction 17.2 Access to Personal Data 17.3 Human Rights 17.4 Environmental Information Regulations 2000 17.5 Copyright and Reuse regulations 17.6 Summary
18. Summary
18.1 Introduction 18.2 Data Protection 18.3 Freedom of Information Act 18.4 Environmental Information Regulations 18.5 Human Rights Act 18.6 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 18.7 Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations 18.8 Records Management 18.9 Training 18.10 Summary
Appendix 1: Data Protection Principles Appendix 2: Exemptions and Exceptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 Freedom of Information Act Environmental Information Regulations 2004 Appendix 3: Published Standards for Records Management Appendix 4: Useful Web Addresses Appendix 5: Flow Chart of FOI