Hi Fred,

Personal information held about an individual can always be gained under the Data Protection Act 1998. It's only necessary to use the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to request information from governmental departments that is not available in the public domain.

Both Steve and I have made numerous requests under the FOI Act to gain access to information not in the public domain, so I'm sure Steve will confirm what I've posted.

See Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act

Both Acts explain an individuals rights to seek personal information about themselves, using the DPA and that held by public authorities which is not in the public domain, using FOI.

Jim