What do you do if you receive a data subject access request?

Subject access requests (SAR's) should be dealt with departmentally. These may be referred to Central Services (Data Protection Officer) where a number of departments are involved or where it is complex.

If the Council has previously complied with an access request from a particular person (subject), then it does not have to comply with any further identical or similar request until a reasonable time as elapsed.

A request to provide a copy of personal data held can be declined if the data subject agrees or if supplying it would involve a disproportionate effort. It does not mean that we can refuse to supply the information – only refuse to supply it in that particular permanent form.

For example it would not be sensible to allow someone to walk away with a register – but he / she can be given a copy of an extract, or be allowed to see it at the location where it is held.