Data Protection
The The Data Protection Act (1998) regulates the processing of personal data: information about and relating to living identifiable individuals.
The Act gives individuals (data subjects) a number of rights including the right to access personal data that an organisation holds about them. If an individual makes a request to view their information, it is known as a Subject Access Request.
This right of access extends to all information held on an individual and includes:
- personnel files
- databases
- interview notes
- emails referring to the individual
Your rights of access are:
- to find out if we keep data about you
- to find out why we keep data and who we share it with
- to get a copy of all, or part, of the data we hold about you
You can only see personal data that we hold about other people in certain circumstances, for example:
- if legally appointed to make decisions for that person
- if authorised by the person to access data on their behalf
- if the person is a young child and you are their parent
You do not have an automatic right to access all data held about you. We are legally obliged to withhold some data, for example if it would break our duty of confidentiality to other people mentioned in your files.
Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act (Scotland) 2002 (FOI) enables any person to obtain information from Scottish public authorities.
Public authorities must allow access to the following information:
- the provision, cost and standard of its service
- factual information on decision-making
- the reasons for decisions made
This legal right of access includes all types of ‘recorded’ information from any date held by Scottish public authorities. From 1st January 2005 any person who makes a request for information must be provided with it, subject to certain conditions.
Scottish Executive regulations govern the scale of fees which can be applied for providing information. The Company also has discretion in applying fees. You will be advised of any costs which will be need be paid before the information is provided.
Costs for providing published materials are set out in the Publication Scheme.
Culture and Sport Glasgow Publication Scheme (PDF, 117kb, 28pp)
The Scheme is available in portable document format. To view this document you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be freely downloaded from the Adobe Web site.
You can make an FOI request in the following ways:
The Information Commissioner
The Information Commissioner for the U.K provides information and advice about data protection issues. The Commissioner also investigates complaints from the public about any alleged breach of the Data Protection Act (1998), including the failure to give proper access to your data within the time allowed by law.
For further information on the work of the Information Commissioner, or to make a complaint, contact:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510
E-mail: mailto:data@informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can view information on their Web site: Scottish Information Commissioner
Please note that Culture and Sport Glasgow is not responsible for the content of external websites.