The warning was made last week by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), which has received a number of calls from concerned nurseries.
According to the NDNA, some settings had received a letter from a company calling itself the Data Protection Agency Registration Ltd, asking for a Pounds 117.25 fee to register them and warning that otherwise they would risk the fine.
NDNA spokeswoman Claire Schofield said, 'Several companies with names that sound as official as possible have been approaching nurseries about data protection, with fees ranging from 85 upwards and tending to use scare tactics. The Data Protection Register (DPR) has advised us that there are a number of these agencies operating across the country and they should be reported to the local trading standards office.'
The NDNA has advised nurseries to deal directly with the DPR and not with any other agencies that claim to carry out data protection registration, such as the Data Protection Agency Registration Ltd, which is a private business and not a Government department.
Nurseries that keep data about children and parents on computer, are for-profit enterprises and have closed-circuit television on site must notify the DPR, while settings that keep data about children and parents on computer but are not-for-profit enterprises may not need to notify the DPR, but should obtain confirmation of this first. Only nurseries that keep hand-held records need not register.
Notification can be carried out online or by post for a flat fee of 35. The NDNA has recommended that all nurseries contact the DPR, especially if they are in any doubt whether they should register. For more information, contact the DPR on 01625 545 745 or visit its website at www.dpr.gov.uk,or call the NDNA helpline on 0870 770 0449.
