Allotments 4 All

At our Committee Meeting the other night, one of our Committee members said that we shouldn't be keeping our allotment members names, addresses and e-mail addresses on the hard drive of our computers as it would be infringing the Data Protection Act.  :o I have never ever heard of this restriction as to my knowledge lots of groups store information in this way.  As this member is quite fearful of computers I wondered whether it was his paranoia or whether there is any truth in it? I would be really grateful if anybody could give me some info about it which I could print off. Thanks as ever.  :D busy_lizzie 

That's very strange you should ask that because I had a thing through the post yesterday about it, claiming as a new small business I have to send money to a data collection service as I haven't submitted notification to the information commisioner....£95, they can jump and sounds like a scam to me!
But anyway I digress! I found this site which I found very helpful. Did a quick online quiz and because I do not keep any records on my computer I am exempt! Hope you find what you need here. DP
http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/

Hehehehe Wardy, thats what got me investigating! Went to the above site and I think it says £35 to register! Does look "real" though as you said....hmmmmm maybe I should send it to Watchdog!

(PS: I envy you running a B&B, it is something I have always wanted to do, that and a hotel!)

ooooo-it is a scam!honest-dont touch it with someone elses barge pole-theres a scam doing the rounds on art sites...someone emails you from abroad-usually with v.poor grammar..saying they want to buy a picture for ,say,£300 but(due to various  reasons)they will sent a money order for £2000 and then you send them the picture and the remaining money-sounds daft but people have been taken in-its like the 'free' holiday you win....... ;)

You have to be so very careful nowadays.  There are scams everywhere, on the internet, on the phone, by letter, etc.

I have had the Nigerian one so many times and have forwarded it to the police.  But there is very little they can do about it...

The new one is : you get a "missed call" on your mobile.  The number displayed will always start with "070, instead of "078 or 078.  If you call this number back, the cost to you will be £50 a minute.  Beware! 
And stay savvy ! 8) ::)

I'm not sure it is possible to have a phonecall at £50 a minute, I'm sure the legal maximum is something like £2 a min.  Maybe it's different with mobiles though.

Data Protection - I think i fyou're a not for profit group holding information just for that purpose then you don't need to notify.  I don't need to notify for the twinsclub I run.

This particular scam was published in our local Parish booklet and is very real !

:o

Yes, scams all over the place.
Look, I have an idea. If everyone sends me a tenner I'll look into it.

oo must be true then if it was in your Parish booklet!

Quote
A £20.00 per minute premium rate tariff does not exist - the highest premium rate tariff available is £1.50 per minute. Despite the hundreds of enquiries received by ICSTIS (Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services) about this 'scam' (and most have heard about it second or third-hand), not one person who claims that it has actually happened to them has been able to produce a phone bill to support their story.

Its whats known as Urban Legend :)

Thanks for the e- mail address DP.  After further investigation and ringing the Commission's office  I have found out that "non profit making clubs" are exempt, which would cover our Allotment Society.  So we are not breaking the law after all.  For anybody who wants more details they are on page 8 and 9 of the Act.  Glad that's been cleared up.  ;D busy_lizzie

You are more than welcome BL!  ;D

I am not 100% sure but I would of thought that if the members that you are holding details of have given permission and or are aware that there details are being held on your computer then it would be alright.

May be a signiture from members would suffice.

Ron

As long as you are a non-profit organisation and are only keeping names and addresses listed on the computer you will be fine, particularly since the members will know about it.

The trouble starts when you start holding other information, especially opinions, about people.  When setting up compliance systems for my company in the late 80s, I discovered that a certain large computer manufacturer got round this by putting a marker on personnel records indicating there was a written file stored on paper elsewhere to cover things like performance reviews as these would not be surrenderable under the DP act section giving disclosure rights.

Finance/credit info is covered by the Consumer Credit Act and not subject to the DP act either.

The council has circulated site committees to say that data held on paper must be stored in a locked box, but computers still appear to be in the clear.

There's a leaflet the Data Protection people publish, along with a logo and sample phrase. It roughly says that the perons details will be stored on file but not used for any other purpose, and the person in question signs their agreement. (Paraphrased, very losely!!!).

if you do that, and the person signs, there's no fee involved at all. I'll hunt out the info.

QuoteIf everyone sends me a tenner I'll look into it.

Thanks Ken, what would we do without you, your soooo honest.
               My Tenner's on it's way.
                                      ;D ;D ;D ;D                   

 ;D I'll look into it for a fiver ;D

QuoteI'll look into it for a fiver

Thanks Roy, what would we do without you, your soooo honest.
               My Fiver's on it's way.
                                     

Wardy, I'd love to run a b+b too....

Ciaran not Ozzy

Found this about exemptions:

Exemptions

For those who hold personal information about others:

There are certain circumstances under the Data Protection Act where you will not face any legal obligations depending on who the information relates to and how it is held:

- To whom the information relates

If the information you hold relates to living individuals who can be identified by the information, then the legal obligations contained within the DPA apply to you.

If one item of information can be used to identify the individual concerned in conjunction with another item of information you hold or expect to hold at some point in the future, then the obligations also apply to you.

No obligations under the DPA arise where the information relates to businesses, companies or other organisations (unless the information that relates to a business is personal information, e.g. sole traders).

- How the information is held

Only information about individuals which is held on computer or is on paper and sorted by reference to individuals are subject to the Act

see: http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=34