The Data Protection Act, 1984
This act, which is shortly to be replaced by the Data Protection Act, 1998, covers the holding, on computers, of personal data. The CRC membership records are held in this way. Broadly, the Act requires that those who hold personal data register the fact with the Data Protection Registrar and that the data
... be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully
... be held only for lawful purposes which are described in the register entry
... be used or disclosed only for those or compatible purposes
... be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which they are held
... be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date
... be held no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which they are held
... be surrounded by proper security.
The CRC is exempt from the requirement to register provided that
... all members of the club are asked whether they object to the personal data relating to them being held by the club.
... the personal data about members may only be disclosed in very limited circumstances. These are:
... when the member, or a person acting on behalf of the member, has requested or consented to the disclosure. This consent may be given either generally or in the circumstances in which the disclosure in question is made
... when the disclosure falls within one of the non-disclosure exemptions (these cover other special situations in which data may be disclosed)
So that the Club can discharge its duties under this act, all members are asked
"Do you object to your Membership details being held on computer?"
and
Do you object to your membership details being disclosed in the following ways
... the publication of a list of members of the club
... disclosures to affiliated clubs and societies
... disclosures to computer maintenance organisations when this is necessary in order to repair the equipment or computer programs
If your answer to either of these questions is "yes", please let the Hon. Membership Secretary, Bill Reid, know.John Pearle. Hon. Secretary. February 2000.