Nerd's World - Data Protection

 Nerd's World Home
 

Data Protection Introduction

Search

Children

Compensation

Cookie

Credit References

Data Controller

Data Subject

Data Protection Act

Exemptions from notification by data controllers

Fax Preference Service

Inaccurate data

Information Commissioner

Internet

Junk Mail

Mailing Preference Service

Medical Records

Notification

Opinions

Opting out

Personal Data

Principles of Data Protection

Processing

References

Sensitive Personal Data

Subject Access Request

Telephone Preference Service

Subject Access Request

If you want to know whether information is held about you and, if so, what information is held, you can write to the person or organisation that you believe holds the information. This is called a Subject Access Request. Your request must be made in writing and must be accompanied by the appropriate fee.  In the majority of cases the maximum fee will be £10 but this will vary, particularly if the information requested is for health or educational records.  If a subject access request is made to a credit reference agency then the fee is £2 and the information must be provided within 7 working days.

In your written request you should ask for a copy of all the information held about you to which the Data Protection Act applies, giving as much information as you can about yourself to enable the person or organisation to whom you are writing to satisfy itself as to your identity and to locate the information.  You are entitled to a prompt reply (within 40 days) as long as you have paid any necessary fee.  A data controller should act promptly in requesting the fee or any further information necessary to fulfill the request.

You are entitled to be told whether personal data about you are being processed and, if that is the case, to be given a description of the personal data, the purposes for which the data are being processed and the people to whom the data may have been disclosed.  You are also entitled to be told, in an intelligible form, of all the information which forms any such personal data.  This information must be supplied in permanent form by way of a copy except in special circumstances specified in the Data Protection Act.

If certain information is wrong, you can ask to have it corrected.

Even if a person or organisation does not hold information about you, it should reply to say so.

Further information on this is available in the leaflet: "Using the Law to Protect Your Information". You can ring the publications line on 0870 442 1211 or find it on the website (http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk).