A new data protection self assessment toolkit (Toolkit) has been launched by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to assist small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to evaluate and improve their compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The Toolkit includes checklists on data protection assurance, records management, information security, data sharing and subject access, and direct marketing. It also provides [...]
The Make-A-Wish Valentine’s Ball 2016 raised a net profit of £216,000. This money goes directly to Make-A-Wish to help fulfil the wishes of children suffering from life threatening illnesses. We would like to say a huge thanks to all our clients, friends and family who, by attending on the night, donating gifts, buying raffle tickets and auction [...]
Our 10th Anniversary Make-A-Wish Valentine’s Ball Silent Auction is now live! There are many different prizes to choose from and all for a fantastic cause. Whether or not you are going to the Ball, you can register, pledge, view and bid for silent auction prizes using the following link from your PC or other device [...]
Over the last 10 years, the Make-A-Wish Valentine’s Ball has raised over £1.5m. All this money goes to grant wishes for children suffering from life threatening illnesses. As part of our fund raising efforts for this year’s Make-A-Wish Valentine’s Ball, we are raffling a special edition brand new Fiat 500 Pop. The Ball is on [...]
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued two monetary penalty notices (a total of £150,000) on two separate companies in one week, for making direct sales and marketing telephone calls in contravention of the Privacy Regulations 2003. The Department of Culture Media and Sport launched a consultation on requiring direct marketing callers to provide Calling [...]
Businesses that use and rely on third party marketing lists should take note of a First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights) decision relating to breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003. The tribunal upheld the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) enforcement notice requiring a company to stop sending unsolicited marketing texts to individuals whose details were [...]
Two recent cases provide warnings to businesses on the sanctions that can be imposed for copyright infringement: In the first case, the High Court passed a 28-day custodial sentence suspended for 12 months on a nightclub owner for copyright infringement. The sentence followed an application by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) for committal of the defendant [...]
A Court of Appeal decision provides a warning to owners of businesses that trade as a partnership. The court held that a partner was jointly and severally liable to a third party for the breach of fiduciary duty of another partner (L). This was the case even though L's breach of duty occurred after [...]
The Pensions Regulator has issued further guidance for small and micro employers in response to research that suggests they need support in choosing a pension scheme for auto-enrolment purposes. The Regulator now estimates that 1.8 million small and micro employers are likely to reach their staging dates over the coming three years, up from the [...]
According to its annual report, in 2014/15, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) imposed civil monetary penalties amounting to over £1 million, including fines for data loss (£692,500) and unsolicited marketing communications (five penalties totalling £386,000). The ICO also prosecuted in 13 cases involving unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data, resulting in ten criminal convictions. [...]