Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Freedom Of Information
The Freedom Of Information Act of 2000 is an Act of Parliament
promoting openness and accountability amongst public authorities by
giving people rights of access to the information held by
them. The Act came into force in 2005.
These rights are expected to help the public
- better understand how we carry out our duties
- understand the decisions we make and the processes behind
them
- see how we spend public money
The Act requires all public authorities to adopt and maintain a
Publication Scheme, ours is available on our Publication Scheme
webpage.
Any member of the public can ask the council for any information
it holds using the Act. The council has 20 working days to
respond to that request. Within that time, the council must
confirm or deny that it holds the requested information. If
it does hold the information then it is required to disclose it
unless it meets one of the exemption categories set out in the
Act.
To make a Freedom of Information Request write to:
Mr Rob Neil
Head of ICT Services
Civic Centre Tannery Lane
Ashford Kent
TN23 1PL
Tel: (01233) 330577
Fax: (01233) 330537
Email Rob Neil
Alternatively, a request can also be made online by completing a
Freedom
of Information Request Form.
There may be a charge to cover expenses such as
photocopying and postage costs. Some documents are subject to
specific charges for the provision of copies. These will be
made available on request.
Data Protection Act 1998
Under the Data Protection Act of 1998, we have a legal duty to
protect any personal information we collect from you:
- We will only use personal information you supply to us for the
reasons that you provided it for.
- We will only hold your information for as long as necessary to
fulfil those reasons.
- We will not pass your information to any other parties
(including other departments) unless this is made clear to you at
the time you supplied it.
- All employees and contractors who have access to your personal
data or are associated with the handling of that data are obliged
to respect your confidentiality.
We are obliged by law to inform you that any information you
provide to Ashford Borough Council will be held securely on
computer in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. In
accordance with this Act:
- The personal information, which you provide to Ashford Borough
Council, will be processed fairly and lawfully.
- The personal information, which you provide to Ashford Borough
Council, will be used within the council, to ensure each individual
is treated fairly and equally, and in order to help us to improve
our services.
- Your personal information will not be disclosed to any third
parties, without first getting your consent, unless we are legally
required to pass this information on to another organisation.
- Your personal information will be held securely on our systems
for as long as it is needed to fulfil the stated purpose. Once this
has been fulfilled, your personal data will be then be
removed.
Please note, if you are under 18, you will need to get
permission from a parent or guardian before submitting any
personal information to Ashford Borough Council.
Data Sharing to Identify Fraud
This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it
administers, and to this end may use the information provided to it
for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this
information with other bodies responsible for auditing or
administering public funds for these purposes.
For further information, see Data Sharing
to Identify Fraud webpage or contact Brian Parsons, Head of
Internal Audit Partnership on 01233 330442 or email brianparson@maidstone.gov.uk
This webpage was updated on
1/10/2012