Consultation response confidentiality and data protection
Updated 6 November 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/minimum-service-levels-for-passenger-rail-during-strike-action/consultation-response-confidentiality-and-data-protection
The Department for Transport (DfT) is carrying out this consultation to build the evidence base for specifying minimum service levels (MSLs) for rail and to inform the design of MSLs. This consultation and the processing of personal data that it entails is necessary for the exercise of our functions as a government department. Where special category personal data is being processed, this is processed for reasons of substantial public interest under Article 9(2)(g) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and for equality of opportunity and treatment under Schedule 1 Data Protection Act 2018.
As part of the MSLs consultation we will ask for the following personal information:
- the region you live in, which train station you most commonly access from your home address, your role at work and whether you need assistance when travelling by train
- your age, gender, ethnicity and health for equality monitoring purposes only – you don’t have to provide this information if you don’t want to
- your name and contact details, where they are included within your emailed responses – they will not be used as part of our analysis or to ask follow up questions and will be deleted as soon as possible
For any information that allows you to be identified, DfT will, under data protection law, be the controller for this information. A research partner in the project will be contracted to assist in the analysis of the responses to this consultation, and will be the processor for this information. All equality data will be separated from your responses by our processer who will complete the analysis and prepare a report which will then be shared with DfT.
All data received by email will come to a secure mailbox within DfT with secure access. All data received by post will be delivered to a secure area within DfT and then added securely to the digital dataset. All data will be held securely on DfT’s systems, with no change made to any of the data received. This will be transferred from DfT systems to our research partner for analysis, utilising a secure methodology. Your information will be kept securely by DfT and the research partner during the research period, and following its conclusion the research partner will transfer data securely to DfT. We will only retain your data in a way that can identify you for as long as is necessary to support the MSL consultation and its findings. Your data will be securely deleted within 24 months of the consultation closing.
DfT’s privacy policy has more information about your rights in relation to your personal data, how to complain and how to contact the Data Protection Officer.