Dear Marie

Freedom of Information Act Request - Statistics on the handling of Data Protection Act Requests

Thank you for your request for information received by this team on 5th March. As it seeks information we may hold, we are treating your request in accordance with the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA).

In your e mail you asked the following questions:

1. How many requests do you get under the DPA each year?

2. How do you verify the authenticity of DPA requests?

3. Do you conduct regular DPA audits/have an auditing policy?

4. Do you maintain data on errors in information covered by the

DPA?

a. If so, please provide data for the past 5 years.

1. The OFT has received 29 DPA requests so far in 2010. In 2009 it received 128 requests and 93 in 2008.

2. Where individuals are seeking information from Consumer Direct (CD), which is run by the OFT, their identity is effectively confirmed by the signature on their request for information. We also check that the address they have written from is the same as the one on the CD database. Where people ask us for information about personal data we may hold - such as why they didn't succeed when applying for a job at the OFT - we ask them to provide us with a copy of their passport so we can confirm that they are who they say they are.

3. We do conduct DPA audits but they are not done at regular or specific intervals. We have an audit policy although this covers all of OFT not just the area responsible for the Data Protection Act.

4. We do not keep any data on errors in information covered by the DPA. This is primarily because, to date, we are not aware of there being any significant errors in the information held by the OFT. Perhaps once or twice a year, we are told an address or name on the CD database is wrong; if that is the case, it can be changed easily enough. We do not, though, keep data on these changes.

Appeals Procedure - Internal Review request

If you are unhappy with this response please see attached Annexe A for details of how to request an Internal Review.

Yours sincerely

Nigel Bussey

Information Access Team

Office of Fair Trading

Annexe A

Appeal Procedure

If you are unhappy with the response you have received to your information request, you may seek an Internal Review by writing to:

The FoIA Internal Review Co-Ordinator

Office of Fair Trading

Room - Ground South

Fleetbank House

2 - 6 Salisbury Square

London. EC4Y 8JX

You may alternatively send an e-mail to [email address]

Please quote the above reference number on your request. It would also be helpful when considering the Internal Review to know why you think we have not dealt with your request correctly.

We will aim to deal with your Internal Review request within 20 working days of receipt or, if that is not possible, advise you of a date when we expect to complete the review.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the Internal Review you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioners Office. The contact address is:

Information Commissioners Office

FOI/EIR Complaints Resolution

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SX9 5AF

Office of Fair Trading

Fleetbank House

2-6 Salisbury Square

London EC4Y 8JX

Switchboard: (020) 7211 8000

www.oft.gov.uk