Councillors who handle personal data have been warned that they may need to register as data controllers under the Data Protection Act and that failure to do so is a criminal offence with fines of up to £5,000. The Information Commissioner’s Office states that as a member of the council or representative of a major political party, councillors will not normally be required to notify. However where a councillor carries out their role as a representative of a ward or if they are an independent councillor not affiliated to any political party they may be required to register. Over 6,000 councillors are currently registered as a data controller and a further 13,000 may not be fulfilling their obligations.