Don't forget that the Data Protection Act also has Regulations and at least
one deals with subject access requests. 

For guidance on recognising and handling subject access requests look at
either of these:

-       guidance for central government Data Protection Officers - this is
available on the Cabinet Office website through its FOI publication scheme
and covers SARs as well as other aspects  - here is a link

http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/publicationscheme/dphandbook/index.asp

-       BSI has published a very good Practical Guide to Implementation of
the Data Protection Act, one part of which deals with subject access
requests. The Guide is not cheap but is worth every penny in my personal
view. (For those interested in FOI, the first part of their FOI Guide,
'Getting Started', has been published, and the second, on records management
for FOI, is due out later this year). 

There is a lot of other good published guidance, these are just two that I
know of and can recommend

Susan Healy
National Archives

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Christacopoulos [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 19 August 2003 19:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] what constitutes an S AR?


** Reply to note from "Gibson, Martin" <[log in to unmask]>         Tue,
19 Aug 2003 17:40:09 +0100


> As far as I know it only has to be in writing and an E Mail would
constitute
> in writing. The Act doesn't say the requesting individual has to be
polite!

But it does say they have to send 10 GBP.  Which means you don't have to
respond and wait until  £10 appear.  The request also has to provide
sufficient
information to be certain that the person making the request is indeed the
person s/he claims to be.

Feels like Friday but I know it isn't.

Charles


==============================================
Charles Christacopoulos, Management Information Officer,
Planning & Information, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN,
Scotland, United Kingdom. Tel: 44(0)1382-344891. Fax: 44(0)1382-201604.
http://www.somis.dundee.ac.uk/

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