The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) requires every data controller who is processing personal information to register with the Information Commissioner\u2019s Office (ICO) unless they are exempt. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.<\/p>
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The ICO has the ability to prosecute data controllers who process personal data having failed to notify in accordance with the DPA. A successful prosecution could result in a fine being imposed. The length of time that a data controller has failed to notify, and any financial benefit they have received from not paying the notification fees, is a factor that is taken into account by the Court when sentencing and setting the appropriate level of fine. There are no provisions in the Proceeds of Crime Act that would require someone to report to a court or anyone else that any profit has been made from the offence of processing personal data without being registered. If someone suspects that money laundering has occurred then the reporting obligations set out in the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 will, for example, apply.<\/p>
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It is for data controllers to seek registration; the ICO periodically reminds organisations of the requirement to notify. Fee income has been increasing year on year with increasing numbers of notifications.<\/p>
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The Ministry of Justice and the ICO are looking at the current funding model as part of negotiations on the proposed EU Data Protection Regulation.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4007", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dominic Raab"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Esher and Walton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dominic Raab"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "6947"} , {"_value" : "6948"} , {"_value" : "6949"} , {"_value" : "6951"} , {"_value" : "6952"} , {"_value" : "7446"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-22T10:07:55.627Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Data Protection"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the extent of revenue that has been lost to the public purse in each of the last seven financial years as a result of data controllers who are required to notify or register under the Data Protection Act and pay a fee not doing so; and what steps he is taking to (a) recoup the losses to the public purse that have occurred and (b) prevent such further losses.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4457", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Marie Rimmer"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Helens South and Whiston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Marie Rimmer"} ], "uin" : "6938"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/389718", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/389718/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Information Commissioner is responsible for determining the pay and conditions of his staff and in doing so must comply with the principles of Managing Public Money and Civil Service Pay Guidance.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4007", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dominic Raab"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Esher and Walton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dominic Raab"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-07-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-07-22T11:27:01.58Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-07-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Information Commissioner's Office: Pay"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of remuneration of Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) personnel based in the ICO's Wilmslow office and the requests made to increase such remuneration; and whether meeting such requests would require a relaxation of existing pay restraint policies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4457", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Marie Rimmer"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Helens South and Whiston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Marie Rimmer"} ], "uin" : "6939"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/389870", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/389870/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Information Commissioner\u2019s Office (ICO) applies for confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in appropriate cases. The ICO communicates with victims throughout the prosecution case and if the ICO is to pursue either confiscation or make an application for compensation this is explained to the victim. More generally, the ICO is reviewing processes for supporting victims in light of the forthcoming implementation of the Victims Directive.<\/p>
In cases where organisations do not comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) the ICO has a range of powers to take action, including the power to serve a Civil Monetary Penalty of up to £500,000. In the most serious cases, section 55 of the DPA makes it an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly obtain, disclose or procure the disclosure of personal data without the consent of the data controller. The offence is punishable by an unlimited fine.<\/p>
Figures for prosecutions and cautions for DPA related offences the last six years are in the table below.<\/p>
Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Number of prosecutions<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Number of cautions<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009/10<\/p><\/td> 7<\/p><\/td> 4<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010/11<\/p><\/td> 5<\/p><\/td> 8<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011/12<\/p><\/td> 13<\/p><\/td> 7<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012/13<\/p><\/td> 5<\/p><\/td> 2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013/14<\/p><\/td> 17<\/p><\/td> 2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014/15<\/p><\/td> 25<\/p><\/td> 4<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> The figures for 2012/13 to 2014/15 years can also be found in the ICO\u2019s annual reports at the link below:<\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Number of prosecutions<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Number of cautions<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009/10<\/p><\/td> 7<\/p><\/td> 4<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010/11<\/p><\/td> 5<\/p><\/td> 8<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011/12<\/p><\/td> 13<\/p><\/td> 7<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012/13<\/p><\/td> 5<\/p><\/td> 2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013/14<\/p><\/td> 17<\/p><\/td> 2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014/15<\/p><\/td> 25<\/p><\/td> 4<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> The figures for 2012/13 to 2014/15 years can also be found in the ICO\u2019s annual reports at the link below:<\/p> |