Technical guidance notes

These notes provide advice and information on the technical issues that affect both data protection and freedom of information.

• Determining what is personal data
  This technical guidance note explains and illustrates the Information Commissioner's view of what is personal data for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. It is designed to help data protection practitioners decide whether data falls within the definition of personal data in circumstances where this is not obvious. View HTML version.
  
  We have also developed a quick reference guide to support data protection practitioners: What is personal data? - A quick reference guide.
  
  
• Frequently asked questions and answers about relevant filing systems
  This technical guidance will help data controllers to decide whether the personal information they have is held in a 'relevant filing sytem' as defined by the Data Protection Act.
  
  
• Filing defaults with credit reference agencies 
  The aim of this guidance is to provide advice to credit grantors on the conditions under which information about defaults is filed with the credit reference agencies. Only if credit grantors file defaults information in broadly comparable circumstances to each other will credit reference agency records provide meaningful information about the financial standing of individuals, and be processed in a way that is fair to those individuals. The guidance sets common standards for filing defaults while recognising that some differences exist with the wide range of credit products available.
  
  
• Access to pupil's information held by schools in England
  Access to pupil's information held by schools in Wales
  Access to pupil's information held by schools in Scotland
  Access to pupil's information held by schools in Northern Ireland
  These guidance notes will help state primary and secondary schools and Boards of Governors in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland understand their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act regarding requests for pupil's information. The guidance for Scotland is also intended for independent schools. Local education and library boards may also find them useful. These notes also cover the separate right of access that parents have to the official educational record of their child.
  
  
• The use of personal information held for collecting and administering council tax
  This note explains the Commissioner's approach to the use of personal information obtained for the administration of council tax.
  
  
• Disclosures to MPs carrying out constituency casework
  Data Protection (Processing of Sensitive Personal Data) (Elected Representatives) Order 2002. S.I.2002 No. 2905.
  
  
• Radio frequency identification
  This technical note summarises RFID technology, its usage, and how the Data Protection Act 1998 applies. It is aimed at those using or thinking of using RFID technology.
  
  
• Privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) 
  This technical note is intended to raise awareness of the concept of privacy enhancing technologies and is aimed at system designers and those commissioning them. It will give a brief description of privacy enhancing technologies but draws on the extensive information published elsewhere. It is not intended to be an exhaustive account, rather a point of entry for readers who wish to further their own research.
  
  
• Subject access requests and legal proceedings
  The aim of this guidance is to provide an explanation to legal practitioners and data protection specialists of the Information Commissioner's view on the exercise of these access rights where legal proceedings are contemplated or ongoing.
  
  
• Subject access requests involving other people's information 
  This technical note replaces previous guidance on this subject and deals with the potential conflict between an individual's right of access and a third party individual's rights to privacy of confidentiality.
  
  
• Freedom of information: access to information about public authority employees
  This guidance gives public authorities practical advice about dealing with requests made under the Freedom of Information Act for access to information about their employees.
  It should be read in conjunction with our freedom of information awareness guidance 1 about personal information which is available on the exemptions guidance section of the website.
  
  
• Health data: use and disclosure
  
  
• Health records: subject access
  
  
• Local authorities: data sharing
  
  
• Model contracts for transfer to other organisations
  
  
• Model contracts for data processors processing personal information on their behalf
  
  
• Notification of barristers' chambers 
  
  
• Notification of pension scheme trustees 
  
  
• Promotion of a political party
  
  
• Registration officers: right to inspect local authority records
  
  
• Vehicle keepers information: implications on use and disclosures