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Data Protection

This page gives you information about the Scottish Police Authority’s data protection policy.

Data Protection legislation covers the whole of the United Kingdom and works in two ways. Firstly, it gives you certain rights as an individual. Secondly, organisations that record and use personal data must be open about how the information is used and must follow the six principles of the legislation.

Data Protection Principles

The Data Protection legislation requires all organisations in the UK that process personal data to comply with six principles regarding privacy and disclosure. The legislation states that data must be:

  • processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner
  • collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purpose and not further processed in a manner incompatible with the purpose
  • adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purpose
  • accurate and up to date
  • not kept longer than necessary
  • processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security.

How to request information from Scottish Police Authority

The legislation allows you to request a copy of your own personal data. In addition, the Authority must also provide you with the following information:

  • the purposes of our processing
  • the categories of personal data concerned
  • the recipients or categories of recipient we disclose the personal data to
  • our retention period for storing the personal data or, where this is not possible, our criteria for determining how long we will store it
  • the existence of your right to request rectification, erasure or restriction or to object to such processing
  • the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO or another supervisory authority
  • information about the source of the data, where it was not obtained directly from the individual
  • the existence of automated decision-making (including profiling)
  • the safeguards we provide if you transfer personal data to a third country or international organisation.

To request information from us please provide your request in writing to:

Information Management
Scottish Police Authority
1 Pacific Quay
Glasgow
G51 1DZ
E-mail: SPAIM@spa.police.uk

We will require copies of two identification documents, such us driving licence, passport, current utility bill.

You may find it easier to complete a Subject Access Request form, however, this is not a requirement.

You should be aware that the Authority does not process information in respect of Criminal Convictions.

Once we have received your request and appropriate identification, we will deal with it as soon as possible. We have a maximum of one month to process your request (unless it is particularly complex, in which case we may extend it by a further two months).

Enforcement of the Data Protection Legislation

The legislation is enforced by the Information Commissioner.  If you are unhappy in any way with how we have dealt with your request, you can contact the Commissioner at the following address:

The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Wilmslow
CHESHIRE
SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545700
www.ico.org.uk