The Data Protection Registrar has now made available for public viewing details of those organisations already registered under the Data Protection Act 1984.
At this stage the register can be examined only at the Office of the Data Protection Registrar, Springfield House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire.
However, the intention is to make copies of the register available at main public libraries throughout the UK progressively from August of this year.
The Data Protection Act applies to those, in both the public and the private sector, who use computers, computer bureaux or third parties to process information about individuals.
Such people or organisations (“data users”) are required to register and to comply with the data protection principles.
Data users who fail to apply for registration may be liable to prosecution. Apparently some 150,000 registration packs have been issued, but only 10,000 applications have been returned so far.
The target date for registration is May 11 1986.
