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Home Page > Your Council > FOI & Data Protection

Freedom of Information and Data Protection

 

FOI logoFreedom Of Information

 

The Freedom Of Information Act of 2000 is an Act of Parliament promoting openness and accountability amongst public authorities by giving people rights of access to the information held by them.  The Act came into force in 2005.  These rights are expected to help the public:

 

Better understand how we carry out our duties
Understand the decisions we make and the processes behind them
See how we spend public money
 

Any member of the public can ask the council for any information it holds using the Act. The council has 20 working days to respond to that request.  Within that time, the council must confirm or deny that it holds the requested information.  If it does hold the information then it is required to disclose it unless it meets one of the exemption categories set out in the Act.

 

There may be a charge to cover expenses such as photocopying and postage costs.  Some documents are subject to specific charges for the provision of copies.  These will be made available on request.

 

Please view our FoI Publication Scheme.

 

Email:  ku.vog.enotsdiam@REMOVEMEiof

 

Data Protection Act 1998


Under the Data Protection Act of 1998, we have a legal duty to protect any personal information we collect from you:

 

We will only use personal information you supply to us for the reasons that you provided it for.
We will only hold your information for as long as necessary to fulfil those reasons.
We will not pass your information to any other parties (including other departments) unless this is made clear to you at the time you supplied it.
All employees and contractors who have access to your personal data or are associated with the handling of that data are obliged to respect your confidentiality.
 

We are obliged by law to inform you that any information you provide to Maidstone Borough Council will be held securely on computer in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. In accordance with this Act:

 

The personal information, which you provide to Maidstone Borough Council, will be processed fairly and lawfully.
The personal information, which you provide to Maidstone Borough Council, will be used within the council, to ensure each individual is treated fairly and equally, and in order to help us to improve our services.
Your personal information will not be disclosed to any third parties, without first getting your consent, unless we are legally required to pass this information on to another organisation.
Your personal information will be held securely on our systems for as long as it is needed to fulfil the stated purpose. Once this has been fulfilled, your personal data will be then be removed.