PROVISION OF INFORMATION

Personal Information

Requests for personal information from individuals to whom the information relates will normally be provided in hard copy, in accordance with Section 7 of the DPA 1998.

This may be open to negotiation with the applicant where:-

• The information is extensive and the applicant agrees to view information in situ.  This will only be permissible where either no information in the records is subject to third party duty of confidentiality, or third party information subject to a duty of confidentiality has been edited or removed;

• It is considered necessary for support to be provided to the applicant when they see their personal information.  Such circumstances are most likely to arise where information of a potentially distressing nature is being disclosed to the data subject, e.g. incidents of child abuse perpetrated in the data subject’s childhood, etc.

Information under the FOIA

The Council will normally make information available in the format specified by the applicant. The applicant may request information to be supplied in any of the following ways:-

• Hard copy
• Electronic copy
• Viewing in situ
• Summary information

This will only be permissible where either no information in the records is subject to third party duty of confidentiality, or third party information subject to a duty of confidentiality has been edited or removed.

Where the Council deems it unreasonable to supply information in the format specified by the applicant as a result of practical or cost considerations then it will inform the applicant of the reasons for its decision.

The Council will, however, still supply the information requested by any means that it considers reasonable in the circumstances.

Other statutory access rights

Council officers already involved in providing information by statute will be expected to continue to provide information in accordance with the requirements of the appropriate legislation.