Fair processing of data

The Electoral Registration Officer is required by law to prepare and publish the council’s Register of Electors which is used at times of local, parliamentary and European elections.

He may share information provided to him with Council departments and with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.

He will only share information when obliged to do so by rule of law or where the law permits.

The Council carries out data matching activity to prevent and detect erroneous claims for single person council tax discount. Data matching involves comparing records held by one body against other records held by the same or another body.

This is usually personal information. Data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it indicates that there is an inconsistency which 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 use of data in a data matching exercise by the council is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in s2 of the Local Government Act 2000.

It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 2018. Further information on the data matching exercise can be obtained from:

Data Discoveries Ltd
16 Timber Bush
Edinburgh
EH6 6HQ

or on 0131 555 1100.

For further information please telephone 023 8083 2245 or contact electoral services.