Government bodies

Electoral Commission

The UK Electoral Commission is an independent statutory body which was established by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It is responsible for matters relating to the administration and regulation of parliamentary and local government elections in the UK. This includes the registration of political parties, maintenance of a register of their accounts, review of electoral laws and procedures and the maintenance of official information on political donations. Its website provides information on the purpose of the body and its work.

Ofsted

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial government department that reports directly to Parliament. It brings together four formerly separate inspectorates, including the Adult Learning Inspectorate and the Commission for Social Care Inspection. It inspects and regulates care for children and young people and education and training for learners of all ages. They provide a four yearly inspection of state funded schools in the UK, the reports of which are available online.

European Commission Directorate General for Education Youth, Sport and Culture

Website of the European Commission Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. The main sections of the site are Education and Training (with links to EU programmes, such as Erasmus), Lifelong Learning, Culture, Youth, Multilingualism and Sport. The site provides access to an extensive selection of online publications including information on the various policy areas and programs of the DG. The site is available in all the EU official languages, although some documents are only in a select few.

Government Equalities Office

The Government Equalities Office has evolved from the Women and Work Commission and deals with the gender pay gap and other issues affecting employment. Its priorities include women and work, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, women and violence, the National Equality Panel and representation in public life. There is also information on the Equality Act 2010.

Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment

Website of the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). This regulatory organisation, set up in 1994, provides advice on and support on what is taught in schools and colleges in Northern Ireland and how it is assessed. The CCEA website contains information about the work of the organisation covering assessment of pupils at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 and accreditation and information on the exams offered including GCSE’s. A-level’s, BTECs and Key Skills.

Data Protection Register

The Data Protection Register is available on the Information Commissioner’s website. The register contains the name and address of organisations that process personal information along with a general description of the kind of processing they do. The register is searchable by organisation name, registration number, address or postcode.

European Commission: Data Protection

This part of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice website deals with data protection in the European Union. There is a guide to download outlining EU citizens’ rights regarding data protection and information relating to Directive 95/46/EC (the data protection Directive). The site also has EU legislation and case law, links to national legislation and to data protection regulatory bodies in EU and EFTA member states.

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