Seminars on data protection legislation

ONCE considered a problem for the sophisticated few, data protection is of more general concern now that just about every business has some form of computer. The Office of the Data Protection Registrar, in a campaign to help businesses and organisations determine whether they need to worry about the Data Protection Act, will next month run a series of free one-day seminars throughout the UK. They will be aimed at giving computer users a better insight into the workings and demands of the legislation.

The seminars will be for both those companies that have already registered and those that are unsure whether they need to. Most of the sessions will be of general relevance, but - in response to demand after a previous series - there will be special seminars for the public and financial sectors.

'Often the difficulty people face is applying the theoretical requirements of the Act to everyday activities,' said John Lamidey, assistant data protection registrar. 'These seminars provide practical explanations of what people might be doing right or wrong, giving case histories and allowing plenty of time for questions.'

Details and application forms from the Marketing Department, the Data Protection Registrar, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.