Data directive

As the regulator of the UK Data Protection Act the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) read with great interest your article, “Data Protection Act means diamond weddings and centenarians set to go without well-wishers”, (3 October).

Your article suggests that the Act prevents National Records of Scotland from informing local authorities about the upcoming anniversaries of residents. I cannot see any reason why this should be the case.

The Data Protection Act plays a very important role in protecting our personal information but ought not to be a barrier to sensible information sharing.

Sometimes organisations misunderstand the law or simply use data protection as a duck out.

However, the law has not changed in this area and it is important that data protection legislation is not used as justification for withdrawing a long-held tradition in the UK which many people continue to enjoy.

We will be contacting the National Records of Scotland to address this apparent confusion.

Ken Macdonald

Assistant Commissioner for Scotland

Information 
Commissioner’s Office

Melville Street

Edinburgh