What information and activities does the DPA cover?
The DPA covers the personal data and sensitive personal data of all living individuals. This includes the personal information of Council’s employees, clients, councillors, contractors etc. For example, letters, file notes, emails, photographs and CCTV footage of people would be covered in most cases. However, the mere mention of a person’s name in a record does not necessarily constitute personal data. An important court case [External] has held that to be personal data, the information must: • be biographical in a significant sense; and • have the data subject as its focus rather than some other person, transaction or event. The DPA covers the processing of all personal and sensitive personal data. For example, it applies when the council gives this information to schools, other councils, private companies, or other government agencies. It also covers the Council’s policy on storage, retention, destruction and access to this information.
