1. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Graham Smith
Deputy Information Commissioner and Director of Freedom of Information
29 September 2010

2. ICO History (1) Established 1985 as Data Protection Registrar
To regulate and enforce Data Protection Act 1984
Computerised records only
Register of data controllers

3. ICO History (2) Becomes Data Protection Commissioner 2000
Revised Data Protection Act 1998
To comply with EC Directive 95/46
Extends to manual records in a relevant filing system 3

4. ICO History (3) Becomes Information Commissioner 2001
Remit includes Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000
Good practice responsibilities and publication schemes
Fully in force including complaint handling 2005
Environmental Information Regulations 2005 (EIR) 4

5. The Information Commissioner
Corporation sole – powers and duties in one person
Independent of Government
Reports to Parliament
5 year term of office
Up to 2 deputy commissioners 5

6. Resources All staff are employees of the Commissioner
Data protection funding from notification fees
FOI/EIR funding from government grant
Cannot switch funding or generate income for profit 6

7. ICO Mission
To uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals 7

8. DP and FOI Legal powers and duties similar Promotion of good practice
Complaint handling and enforcement
But can order FOI disclosures …
… and prosecute for DP offences 8

9. ICO Departments Operations Policy Delivery Strategic Liaison
Corporate Affairs
Organisational Development
Finance, IT, Internal Compliance 9

10. ICO Original Building 10

11. ICO New Extension 11

12. Interior (1)

13. Interior (2)

14. Data Protection Casework 2009-2010
Cases received ,234
Cases closed ,714
Closed within 30 days - 14,267 (43%)
Prosecutions
Enforcement Notices 14

15. FOI/Environmental Information Casework 2009-2010
Cases received - 3,734
Cases closed - 4,196
Closed within 30 days - 1,887 (45%)
Regulatory/Enforcement actions 15

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