This is a statement of data protection policy adopted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (the council) and applies to all employees, elected members, public representatives, business partners, agents and third parties acting on the council's behalf.
The council needs to collect and use certain types of information about people it deals with in order to operate. This personal information must be dealt with properly - however it is collected, recorded, used and disposed of, whether on paper, in a computer, or recorded on other material - and there are safeguards to ensure this in the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act).
The council regards the lawful and correct treatment of personal information as important to successful operations and to maintaining the confidence of those it deals with.
The council fully endorses and will adhere to the data protection principles listed in the Data Protection Act 1998.
Through appropriate management, strict application of criteria and controls the council will:
- fully observe conditions regarding the fair collection and use of information
- meet its legal obligations to specify the purposes for which information is used
- collect and process appropriate information only to the extent that is needed to fulfil operational needs or to comply with any legal requirement
- ensure the quality of information used
- ensure that the rights of people about whom information is processed are able to be fully exercised under the Act
- take appropriate technical and organisational security measures to safeguard personal information
- ensure that personal information is not transferred abroad without suitable safeguards.
In addition the Council will ensure that: