Controlled drugs and precursor chemicals import/export licensing: privacy notice
Updated 8 May 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drugs-and-firearms-licensing-privacy-information-notices/controlled-drugs-and-precursor-chemicals-importexport-licensing-privacy-notice
Your personal information, supplied for the purposes of creating a customer to allow you to apply to hold a controlled drug licence, under the Misuse Use of Drugs Act 1971, Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, Misuse of Drugs (Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1997 and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 2010, or a precursor chemicals licence(s)/registration under (EC) No 273/2004, (EC) No 111/2005, (EC)No 2015/1011, Controlled Drugs (Drug Precursors) (Intra-Community Trade) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008 No. 295) and the Controlled Drugs (Drug Precursors) (Community External Trade) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008 No. 296) or to apply to hold an industrial hemp licence under the Misuse Use of Drugs Act 1971, Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, and the Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 2010 will be held and processed by the:
Home Office Drugs & Firearms Licensing Unit
PO Box 2163
Croydon
CR90 9TA
The Home Office is the controller of this information. This also includes when it is collected or processed by third parties on our behalf.
Details of the Department’s Data Protection Officer:
Office of the DPO,
Peel Building,
2 Marsham Street,
London
SW1P 4DF
1. Changes to this Privacy Information Notice
The Home Office may amend this PIN from time to time. If the Home Office makes any substantial changes in the way its officials use your personal information, the Home Office will make that information available by amending this and any associated notices.
2. How and why the Department uses your information
The Home Office collects, processes, and shares personal information to enable it to carry out its statutory and other functions, including those related to law enforcement, safeguarding against, and the prevention of, threats to public security.
We are only allowed to process your data where there is a lawful basis for doing so.
We may share your information with other organisations in the course of carrying out our functions, or to enable others to perform theirs and which are consistent with the Home Office functions.
More information about the ways in which the Home Office may use your personal information, including the purposes for which we use it, the legal basis, and who we share your information with can be found in the Personal Information Charter.
The personal information we have collected about you may be shared with the police, other government departments, and other public bodies where necessary to perform this function, or where it is required; to protect life, prevent crime, under the terms of any court order, or to comply with lawful obligations for the purpose of preventing crime, protecting the public, and preventing the diversion of drugs or precursor chemicals.
A record of any licences or registrations issued may be placed in the European Commission’s Database available to the Competent Authorities of Member States.
This does not include information about applications and is limited to the details of any licences or registrations issued and to whom.
We also share billing information for processing of payments.
3. Storing your information
Your personal information will be held for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it is being processed and in line with departmental retention policy. We retain your data for 25 years. More details of this policy can be found at Home Office retention and disposal standards.
4. Requesting access to your personal data
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Details of how to make the request can be found at
Information Rights Team,
Knowledge and Information Management Unit
Performance and Risk Directorate
Home Office
3rd Floor,
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
4.1 Other rights
In certain circumstances you have the right to ask us to erase or correct your personal data if it is inaccurate.
5. Questions or concerns about personal data
If you have any questions or concerns about our collection, use or disclosure of your personal information please contact us.
Telephone number: 0300 105 0248
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about the way the Home Office is handling your personal information, or if you believe we should have provided you with more information about why/how we are processing it for law enforcement purposes. Details on how you do this can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.