Tag: regulator

ICO takes action to improve access to personal information from local authorities across Scotland

  • Reprimands issued to Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council for failing to respond to requests for personal information on time   
  • Action follows ICO engagement with local authorities across Scotland to improve right of access, including for people with care experience and those applying for redress after suffering abuse while in care   
  • “Those who were let down in the past are being let down again, this time by poor SAR compliance.” 

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is taking action to tackle significant delays for people who are trying to access copies of their personal information held by local authorities across Scotland.  

Under data protection law, people have the right to ask an organisation if it holds their personal information and receive a copy of any personal information held within a month, unless an extension is applied – this is known as a subject access request (SAR).  

The regulator has now reprimanded both Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council for repeatedly failing to respond to SARs within the legal timeframe, leading to a significant backlog of requests.  

The reprimands follow the ICO’s proactive engagement with all 32 local authorities in Scotland after it became aware of delays in responses to SARs, amounting to years in some cases.  

Many local authorities have seen an increase in SARs received, many in relation to the Redress Scotland scheme where people who suffered abuse while in care can apply for redress using supporting documents such as their care records.  

Jenny Brotchie, Acting Head of Scottish Affairs at the ICO, said: “Those who were let down in the past are being let down again, this time by poor SAR compliance.

“We have heard how undue delays and lack of communication from local authorities can cause further distress for people, including those with care experience and those trying to claim redress in Scotland.

“Local authorities must get this right despite the rising numbers of requests, which is why we have been offering support and monitoring those with poor compliance until we are satisfied that improvements have been made.”  

Following the ICO’s scrutiny and support to put action plans in place, many local authorities have significantly reduced their backlog of requests and improved their response times.  

Despite a 67% overall increase in the total number of SARs to local authorities in Scotland between 2021 and 2024, 75% of local authorities improved their SAR compliance, with 13 local authorities reporting a compliance rate of 90% in 2023/24. 

However, the regulator launched investigations into two local authorities, Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council, after it did not see any tangible improvements over 12 months.  

The ICO’s recent compulsory audit of Glasgow City Council found that the council has good policies and procedures in place to handle SARs. However, lack of resource and budget remains an issue, with the council still unable to respond to many SARs within the legal timeframe.   

Following its reprimand, City of Edinburgh Council has now reported some improvement in its response times.   

Jenny Brotchie added: “While I’m pleased to see significant improvements from most of the local authorities that we engaged with, SAR compliance in Scotland remains a concern and we must ensure people can exercise their information rights effectively and without further harm.

“We expect all local authorities to have sufficient resources in place to handle the volume and complexity of SARs, and to keep people updated on the progress of their request.  

“We are taking a proportionate approach to monitoring local authorities, but these reprimands show that we will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary.”  

Looking forward, the ICO continues to engage with local authorities and other key stakeholders to drive further improvements and ensure that people can access their own personal information. 

The ICO has committed to improving the support it provides to both people who grew up in the care system across the UK and the organisations that hold their information. It has been gathering evidence of the challenges facing both people and organisations when it comes to accessing care records and will share its findings and next steps over the coming months.  

Read more detail about the ICO’s work with local authorities in Scotland here. 

Find out more about your information rights here, including the right of access.  

Government welcomes the MHRA review into Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine

UK’s independent regulator to evaluate latest data from Pfizer and BioNTech to ensure the quality, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine meets the standards required.

  • The UK has ordered 40 million vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTech – enough for up to a third of the population
  • Initial data shows the vaccine is 94% effective in protecting people over 65 years old from coronavirus and clinical trials have not reported any serious safety concerns

The UK Government has today (Monday 23 November) welcomed the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) review of data from Pfizer/BioNTech to determine whether its vaccine meets robust standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness.

The companies have reported data that indicates their vaccine is 94% effective in protecting people over 65 years old from COVID-19, with trials suggesting it works equally well in people of all ages, races and ethnicities.

As the first country to pre-order the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech, the UK is expected to receive a total of 40 million doses by the end of 2021, enough to vaccinate up to a third of the population, with the majority of doses anticipated in the first half of next year.

The COVID-19 vaccine will only be authorised for supply by the UK’s independent regulator the MHRA if it meets strict standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness, and if they are satisfied the vaccine can be consistently manufactured.

Today marks the next step forward for the vaccine following the MHRA’s confirmation that it has received the necessary data to progress their review into whether the vaccine meets the required standards.

Despite encouraging data about this vaccine, people must continue to follow public health advice to keep themselves and their loved ones safe; regularly washing their hands, wearing a face mask and making space.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The whole country will be cheered by the news that Pfizer/BioNTech have formally reported the data from their clinical trials for their vaccine to the regulator.

“This is another important step on the road to recovery. We must now allow the MHRA’s renowned teams of scientists and clinicians to make an independent assessment of whether it meets their robust standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness.

“If approval is granted, the NHS will be ready to deliver. The NHS has vast experience in delivering widespread vaccination programmes and an enormous amount of work has taken place to ensure we have the logistical expertise, transport and workforce to roll out a vaccine according to clinical priority, at the speed at which it can be manufactured.”

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Today, we have renewed hope that we are on the brink of one of the most significant scientific discoveries of our time, as we reach the crucial last stage to finding a COVID-19 vaccine.

“While this news is a cause for celebration, we must make sure that this vaccine, like all new medicines, meets standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness. I urge the public to be patient while we wait for regulators to do a thorough assessment.

“Finding a vaccine is not going to end the pandemic overnight, but we are hopeful of being one step closer to defeating this terrible virus.”

Final deployment plans will depend on decisions by regulators but preparations have been underway for months and are in place to ensure that:

  • the NHS will be ready to begin vaccinating as soon as the first vaccine is approved and delivered to the UK
  • GPs have already been signed up to take part in the programme when an appropriate vaccine is ready
  • dozens of hospitals across the country will lead co-ordination on behalf of neighbouring hospitals, community trusts and local health groups in vaccinating staff and other priority groups
  • there will also be vaccinations sites across the country

The government has purchased 7 different types of vaccine in advance and procured 355 million doses. This includes 100 million doses of the vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

The UK government is working closely with the devolved administrations to ensure an aligned approach to COVID-19 vaccine deployment across the UK.

Chair of Vaccines Taskforce, Kate Bingham, said: “We are moving ever closer to having the means with which to help end this pandemic but we must wait for the outcome of the MHRA assessment before we will truly know if we have our first approved vaccine.

“Irrespective of the outcome, which we all hope will be positive, this is a tremendous day for science. It is testament to the Herculean efforts of the scientific and biopharmaceutical community and it makes me immensely proud.”