I am not a legal person, but surely signing a letter is a way of saying I
endorse the contents of this letter/document. I have just made an insurance
claim for my horse and the insurers insisted (as I expected , though one
document had been an email I printed off, and I didn't think about that one)
that it all be signed by my vet, including the email. If a signature means
nothing why does anyone do it ? If every document I had passed to the
insurers had a different signature though by the same man I'm sure they
would have queried it.
Brenda Scourfield
Team Leader
I.T. Division
Pembrokeshire County Council
County Hall
Haverfordwest
SA61 1 TP
Tel 01437 775380
> -----Original Message-----
> From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
> [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Turner
> Sent: 16 January 2007 13:03
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Signatures (minor correction)
>
> My advice would be to suggest to staff who are concerned about this to
> have
> a "work" signature. When I sign letters, I do so very clearly, writing my
> name. It's in my handwriting, I never get anyone else to sign my letters
> so
> it is distinctive to me, it is my signature. However, it isn't the scrawl
> which I use to sign my name in other contexts like credit cards. There are
> two main advantages to this. One, whatever the risk of misuse might be
> (and
> in these days of chip and pin, the risk may have diminished), my signature
> on a Wigan Council letter isn't much use to a fraudster. The second
> advantage is that when the recipient gets the letter, they can see my name
> very clearly at the bottom and will instinctively reply to me. Unsigned
> letters are impersonal, so I wouldn't advocate that, so people who are
> concerned about these issues could consider this.
>
> To answer Brenda's original question, I think a signature is personal
> data.
> If a staff member routinely signs letters that are sent out to the public,
> I
> don't think the signature should be removed because it is already put into
> the public domain. On the other hand, if the person does not routinely
> sign
> letters, there is a good argument that their signature can legitimately be
> removed.
>
> Regards
>
> Tim Turner
> Data Protection / FOI Officer
> Legal and Property Services
> Wigan Council
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Landau
> Sent: Tue 16 January 2007 11:33
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [data-protection] Signatures (minor correction)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nick Landau" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 11:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [data-protection] Signatures
>
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Brenda Scourfield" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 11:17 AM
> > Subject: [data-protection] Signatures
> >
> >
> > Are signatures personal data ? If we provide copies of letters under FOI
> > or DP, should the signature of the officer or person be blanked out ?
> >
> > One of our officers is concerned that his signature could be copied and
> > used fraudulently.
> >
> > Nick's reply:
> >
> > One question would be is the signature already in the public domain - in
>
> > which case, his concern is understandable but an FoI question would not
> > elicit any more information than is otherwise available. (for instance
> do
> > documents with his signature go to Planning Committee etc?)
> >
> > If you really wanted a copy of a council officer's signature then you
> > write to them and presumably the response will have their signature.
> >
> > One could presumably argue that if a particular officer had a problem
> with
>
> > this then it doesn't seem to me blanking out their signature would
> remove
> > any information - after all it would have their name in print.
> >
> > I would have thought that this was the nature of being a public officer
> ie
>
> > documents with your imprint on get published - if you don't want that
> you
> > should be working in the public sector.
>
> Of course, the last phrase should read:
>
> "if you don't want that you should _not_ be working in the public sector"
>
> >
> > But equally any postman might say that they don't want to give their
> > signature for the same reason.
> >
> > Nick Landau
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