The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) provides you with a right of access to information held about you and regulates how Dumfries and Galloway Council collects, processes, stores and where appropriate, discloses personal information held by computer and/or in manual files.

The DPA also provides a way in which individuals can help protect information about themselves.

Generally, personal information (data) is information that relates to a living individual who can be identified from that information, for example, your name and address. The DPA also protects 'sensitive' information you supply to the Council, such as, information about your health, racial or ethnic origin and the commission or alleged commission of any offence.

Subject to certain statutory restrictions, the Act allows you to find out what information the Council holds about you. This is called the 'Right of Subject Access'. You can see this information by making a 'Subject Access Request'. The Council (generally) exercises its right to charge £10 for each Subject Access Request. Once the Council has received payment and all necessary information from the data subject, it has 40 days in which to respond.

Download the  Subject Access Request Form [159kb] to request information held about you or contact the Data Protection Officer to obtain a form.