More information

Published on 04/04/2012 00:00

Your article, “Watchdog calls for data privacy for UK citizens” (3 April), refers to calls by the information commissioner Christopher Graham for limitations and safeguards to mitigate the impact on citizens’ privacy in the light of the forthcoming Home Office proposals for the monitoring of calls, e-mails, texts and website visits.

I should clarify that, as the information commissioner, Mr Graham regulates the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 throughout the whole of the UK and not just England and Wales.

There is, however, a separate Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 granting access to information held by devolved bodies and which is regulated by the Scottish information commissioner, a post shortly to be taken up by Rosemary Agnew.

Ken Macdonald

Information Commissioner’s Office

Water Lane

Wilmslow, Cheshire