Police and other agencies request for personal information
We are sometimes asked to share information we hold about South Gloucestershire residents with other third party agencies such as the police, government departments, other local authorities or public bodies.
These kinds of requests for personal data are covered by exemptions set out in Schedule 2, Part 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018.
This means that consent from the data subject is not needed if it is about:
- prevention or detection of crime
- the apprehension or prosecution of offenders
- the assessment or collection of a tax or duty or an imposition of a similar nature
The Act does not give an automatic right of access to information. We assess each request to decide whether or not we will share it.
Requests can also be made for information relating to the investigation of alleged child abuse (current or historical). This is an Annex C request.
Applications for disclosure of information relating to civil cases are considered on a case-by-case basis.
How to make a request
Organisations must submit the correct application form signed by a senior manager. For the police this can be the investigating officer.
Email your completed form to dpo@southglos.gov.uk. We recommend that you use a secure email solution for sending personal or confidential information to us.
Please note: if your form has not been fully completed and authorised, you will be asked to resubmit the request.
What happens next
The request will be assessed to ensure that it falls within the scope of Schedule 2, Part 1, paragraph (2) (1) or Schedule 2, Part 1, paragraph (5) (1-3) of the Data Protection Act 2018 and is proportionate to the reason the information is being requested.
There is no obligation on us to disclose information. If we have genuine concerns about releasing any personal information then we may ask you to obtain a court order.
There is no statutory time limit within which local authorities are expected to respond to requests made under Schedule 2, Part 1 but we will endeavour to provide the requested information as soon as possible.
We will notify you if we do not hold the requested information or if your request for disclosure is refused.
Third parties will become the data controller and must adhere to all relevant data protection legislation in handling any information we disclose.
Further information
You can find further information on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
If you need to contact us email dpo@southglos.gov.uk.