RE: Data Protection Act

Dear Marie Griffiths

Our Ref: FOI 27 /10

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act dated 5
March 2010. In your email you have requested:

Please provide the following information regarding your responsibilities
under the Data Protection Act (DPA):

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

The Commission aims to respond to requests for information promptly and
within the statutory timeframe of twenty working days.

You may expect to receive a reply sent from the Commission by 2 April
2010

Yours sincerely,

Nassime Chida

On behalf of Michelanne Calhoun Wilson

Legal Officer

Tel: 020 7271 0625

Fax: 020 7271 00505

[Electoral Commission request email]

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Griffiths,

Our Ref: FOI 27 10

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (FOI Act), dated 5 March 2010.

The Commission aims to respond to requests for information promptly. We
apologise that in this case it has taken longer than 20 working days.

The Commission does hold information relevant to your request. Please see
your request in bold below followed by our response.

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

The Commission has received five data protection requests. Four were
received in 2009 and one was received in 2010.

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

Requests are passed to the Legal team and managed in accordance with our
Data Protection policy which includes the following provision for
verification:

* Under our procedures, the Legal Officer must ensure the requester has
identified themselves with enough detail to process their request
(date of birth, full name, etc.) Under the Act, the Legal Officer may
request additional information from the requester if this provision is
not satisfied.

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

Yes, Data Protection is covered as part of our internal audit strategy
agreed each year by the Commission in conjunction with our audit
provider.

4. Do you maintain data on errors in information covered by the DPA? If
so, please provide data for the past 5 years.

The Commission maintains records of personal data in a manner consistent
with the Data Protection Act. There have been no errors in relation the
Commission holding incorrect personal data or personal data inconsistent
with the remit of our work.

I trust that this information satisfies your request. If you are not
satisfied with this response, please note that the Commission operates a
review procedure, details of which can be found on the Commission website
at:
[1]http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/ab....

Please also note that if you have exhausted all internal Commission review
procedures and you are still not satisfied you have the right to appeal to
the Information Commissioner. Details of this procedure can be found on
the ICO website: [2]http://www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Michelanne Calhoun Wilson
Legal Advisor
The Electoral Commission
Trevelyan House
Great Peter Street
London SW1P 2HW
Tel: 020 7271 0625
Fax: 020 7271 00505
[3]www.electoralcommission.org.uk
[4]www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

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