Privacy and Data Protection
Data Protection
Three Rivers District Council and its employees are subject to the Data Protection Act 1998. As such we are committed to maintaining your privacy in all your interactions with the Council. Your data will be held on a secure server and access within the Council will be limited to those who need to know. You have a right to see any personal information we hold. If you would like to see or amend personal data please our main Data Protection page.
Data Matching
This authority is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
The Audit Commission appoints the auditor to audit the accounts of this authority. It is also responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.
Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency that requires further investigation.
No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.
The Audit Commission currently requires us to participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Audit Commission for matching for each exercise, and these are set out in the Audit Commission’s guidance, which can be found at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nfi.
The use of data by the Audit Commission in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in Part 2A of the Audit Commission Act 1998. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.
Data matching by the Audit Commission is subject to a Code of Practice. This may be found at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nfi/codeofdmp.asp.
For further information on the Audit Commission’s legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, see www.auditcommission.gov.uk/nfi/fptext.asp.
Credit Reference Agency Data-matches in Housing/Council Tax Benefit
Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit data may be supplied to Experian, a Credit Reference Agency, and Housing Benefit fraud investigations could possibly include checks on undeclared cohabiters
For further information on data matching at this authority, please contact:
The Data Protection Officer
Three Rivers District Council
Three Rivers House
Northway
Rickmansworth
Herts WD3 1RL
E-mail: dataprotection@threerivers.gov.uk
Telephone: 01923 776611
Privacy Statement
We automatically collect information regarding the IP of visitors to our site. This enables us to monitor and analyse how visitors use the web site and improve the services and information that we provide. This information is never passed on to third parties.
The Privacy Policies and Statements of external organisations linked to this website will vary and we recommend that you understand how other organisations will use and maintain your data.