Personal information charter

This information charter sets out the standards you can expect from the Cabinet Office when we collect, hold or use your personal information.

We will ensure that we will treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

When the Cabinet Office or its agencies collects, holds, uses or processes in any way your personal data, you are entitled to be told:

  • the purpose for which the data is being used, and our lawful basis for processing it
  • how long we will keep your data, who we will share it with
  • whether it will be transferred or accessed outside the UK or EU, and what legal safeguards are in place to protect it
  • about any rights you may have, including the right to access your information, or to object to its being used
  • about your right to complain to the Information Commissioner if you feel that your personal information has been mishandled
  • about the identity of our Data Protection Officer (an independent advisor on data protection matters)

You are also entitled to have your personal information:

  • protected and kept secure
  • kept accurate and up to date
  • not used for purposes which are incompatible with those for which it was collected
  • kept only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected (unless it must be kept as part of the historic record)

More information

You can get more information about what we use personal information for below under privacy notices.

How to access your personal information

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to request copies of your, or someone else’s with their specific written consent, personal data from organisations including government departments. The data protection laws give you rights over that data, including making sure it is correct, how it should be handled and when it should be deleted.

You can find full details of our obligations under the data protection laws in our information charter.

Right to request copies of your personal information

This is known as the ‘right of subject access’, and a request for a copy of your personal information is called a ‘subject access request’, or SAR. We will only disclose personal information about you, not about anyone else.

If we do hold information about you, we will:

  • give you a description of it
  • tell you why we have it
  • provide the information in a readable format, subject to any exemptions contained in the legislation

Any subject access request should ideally include 2 things:

  1. A description of where your personal data may be held. Tell us where in the department your personal data may be held. It will help us to find your records. For example, tell us which part of the Cabinet Office you have had dealings with, including any relevant reference numbers and dates. Please be as specific as possible.
  2. Valid identification.

Cabinet Office has a responsibility to protect your data and keep it secure.

An important safeguard is verifying the identity of anyone who asks to have their personal data. This ensures that your data is kept secure, and that only you can access it through a SAR.

In order to access your data, you will need to provide ID. ID will be reviewed and deleted within 30 days and a copy of the SAR response will be retained for three years..

  • The form of ID should include a clear photo of you, such as from your passport or driving licence. OR
  • The ID should include your name and current address, such as on a utility bill, council tax bill, bank or credit card statement. Your driving licence is acceptable as proof of your address if it is also accompanied by additional photo ID (such as your passport). Acceptable bills include electricity, gas, water, telephone/broadband, council tax, bank statement or credit card statement. Any bill should be dated within the last 6 months.

We ask for photo ID not to confirm likeness but because obtaining photo ID involves a series of additional safeguards. We are satisfied that this is a necessary and proportionate safeguard to keep your data secure.

Please note, social media accounts, whether verified or not, will currently not be accepted as a valid ID. . 

You can make a subject access request for yourself, or on behalf of someone else, online. To do this you will need a letter of consent from the individual the request relates to or confirmation of power of attorney. 

Cabinet Office Subject Access Request

You can also make a request by email or post.

Cabinet Office
70 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AS
United Kingdom

OR 

email: subject.access@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Read about your personal data rights as a data subject and what can be requested: 

Freedom of Information request and Data Subject request privacy notice

For further information please visit the ICO website

Data Protection Officer

If you have any concerns about how the department is handling your personal data, you may contact the department’s Data Protection Officer (DPO).

The DPO provides independent advice and monitoring of Cabinet Office’s use of personal information. They can be contacted at the following email address: dpo@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Using special category and criminal conviction personal data

The Appropriate Policy Document sets out how the Cabinet Office will protect special category and criminal convictions personal data.

Privacy notices

The privacy notices listed below explain in more detail how we will handle your data in specific circumstances. Some privacy notices have been listed under more than one heading, where appropriate.

Analysis Directorate

Borders and Protocol Delivery Group

Cabinet Office Corporate

Cabinet Office Human Resources and Finance

Civil Service Group

Civil Service Languages Network

Government People Group

Constitution Group

COP26

Covid Taskforce

Digital and Technology Team

Disability Unit

Economic and Domestic Secretariat

Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants

Geospatial Commission

Government Commercial Function

Government Communication Service

Government in Parliament Group

Government Security Group

Historic records and inquiries

Privacy notice for Cabinet Office historic records and inquiries

Infrastructure and Projects Authority

Joint Intelligence Organisation

National Security Secretariat

Newsletters

Office of Government Property

Office for Equality and Opportunity

Office for Veterans’ Affairs

Prime Minister’s Office

Private Office Group

Procurement Review Unit

Public Sector Fraud Authority

Security and Estates

Privacy notices: Arms Length Bodies

Advisory Committee on Business Appointments

Crown Commercial Service

Government Property Agency

Security Vetting Appeals Panel

Archived privacy notices

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