Data protection

[Jimbo]

Anyone know about the Data Protection Act ?

I use my own car for work (travelling to different customer sites), and hence have Class 1 business insurance etc. In the past we've had to prove to our line managers that:

a) The vehicle has a valid MoT
b) Is insured to the correct level and
c) We have a driving licence (!!!!)

The company in their cost/time-saving way have outsourced this function to a company called 'Licence Bureau' - we need to fill a form in with personal details, send them copies of MoT, d/licence, insurance docs etc.

Is this right and legal - or is it somehow contravening the DPA ?

Tks,
Jim

[Edge]

I imagine it would be contravening if you did not give permission for your data to be passed on, but dont quote me on that.

[Thrasher]

My wife is a Data Protection Officer - want me to ask her ;-)

[Bob696]

They would not be allows to pass info on to 3rd parties without YOUR permission (as it is your personal details). They can not collect data that is not directly relevent to their job e.g. it is none of their concern if your wife drives the car at weekends.

You also have the rite to see all data they hold about you although they may make a nominal charge to you for providing this information.

[strapping young lad]

have you opted out?

can you opt back in and get a company car?


sounds dubious though

[Bulli]

I can understand that some companies may wish to outsource niggly jons but this does seem to be taking it a little far. No its not in contradiction to the DPA . They are allowed to pass the information on as long as they informed you that they were going to do so. If they didnt verbaly inform you then then may have breached it. Unless they told you to get in touch with this other company in which case they have done nothing wrong either way.
I cant see the harm in it either . Not as if the information isnt already in the public domain. I think there should be a public register that allows you to check if people are insured/ roadworthy...a few more scroats might get sorted out, if you know what i mean , scum!ps i got knocked off and hospitalised by someone who then hid behind the dpa!!! The coppers knew who he was(he left the scene with me out cold) but couldnt disprove his story,he said he sold the car the day before! The cops couldnt tell me who it was....no justice! i was about 2k out let alone the back problems i have had!

[drum]

Some PSV\HGV Companies use a similar arrangement for liscenses because it is not uncommon for people to apply for jobs they are unliscensed for and claim they, some actually believe it, even when you show them the official docs on what you can drive, and compare it to the categories on their liscence.

I know of one very large Haulage comapny that has recently handed liscence checking over to a third party, and found 15% of their drivers we'rnt qualified for the vehicles they were driving!!! Scary or what.!!!

It probably has more to do with them having somebody to blame if it turns out your insurance doesn't cover them or something.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for all the replies, it seems that this is a genuine request - one less thing for my manager to do  :roll:

The only thing that is not clear on the letter and form I have from 'Licence Bureau' is whether I am giving my permission for them (Licence Bureau) to pass the info that they get from DVLA to my company - basically, the form I've got to fill in gives my permission for Licence Bureau to request my 'driver record' details from the DVLA, it does not mention passing this info onto anyone else, and I think (therefore I am not sure !) if they were to pass this info onto a '3rd Party' they (Licence Bureau) would be contravening the DPA ?

There's a helpline number on the form, I'll phone it and see what they have to say.

Jim

[Bulli]

Jimbo, the strange thing is without being able to communicate with your employer there seems little point them having the info!

[Thrasher]

Jimbo,

I asked the wife. Please note this is not legal advice. Just an answer :-)

"Yes it's legal. The outsourced company must also keep this information
under the DPA and not use it for any other purposes. Under the Act, they
are working as the Data Processor but the originating company is the
Data Controller and 'owns' the data."

[Jimbo]

Nice one Neil - that confirms what the outsource company said to me when I phoned their 'helpline' earlier - thanks also to Mrs Thrasher.

There is such a wealth of information available from MC members, I'm thinking about chucking my encyclopedia's away  

Jim