Privacy notice: Electoral administrators survey data for use by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Published 23 July 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/privacy-notice-electoral-administrators-survey-data/privacy-notice-electoral-administrators-survey-data-for-use-by-the-ministry-of-housing-communities-and-local-government
The following is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under UK data protection legislation.
1. The identity and contact details of the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) and our Data Protection Officer
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) is the “data controller”. The Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk
2. What personal data we are collecting and why
Your personal data is being collected as part of a research survey conducted by the MHCLG, which is a UK government department. The purpose of the research, and why we will be processing the personal data, is to evaluate changes to elections and voting that were introduced in the Elections Act 2022.
Providing your personal data allows us to ensure our records of Electoral Administrators is up to date. We may also use your personal data to communicate important information about the Individual Electoral Registration (IER) Digital Service (and Canvass Data Match) and the MHCLG to key stakeholders. These communications include newsletters and one-off notifications.
The following personal data is being collected for this purpose: Name, local authority/Valuation Joint Board, email address, phone number, job role and opinions.
3. Lawful basis for processing the data
The data protection legislation sets out when we are lawfully allowed to process your data.
The lawful basis that applies to this processing is the performance of a task in the public interest.
4. With whom we will be sharing the data
Your data will be shared with members of the Elections Research and Analysis team at MHCLG and the MHCLG support team (Business Change team). Your data may be shared with IFF Research. IFF Research are an independent research organisation conducting research on behalf of the MHCLG.
5. For how long we will keep the personal data, or criteria used to determine the retention period.
Your personal data will be held by the MHCLG support team (Business Change team) for as long as you wish to receive communication from them. For operational reasons, contact details for key Electoral Registration staff are required for as long as they are in post.
If you respond to a research survey, your data will be held by members of the Elections Research and Analysis team at MHCLG - your data will be kept in identifiable form for no more than 2 years, and then in an anonymised format for up to 7 years.
6. Your rights, e.g. access, rectification, erasure
The data we are collecting is your personal data, and you have rights that affect what happens to it. You have the right to:
a. know that we are using your personal data
b. see what data we have about you
c. ask to have your data corrected, and to ask how we check the information we hold is accurate
d. complain to the ICO (see below)
In some circumstances you may also have the right to withdraw your consent to us having or using your data, to have all data about you deleted, or to object to particularly types of use of your data. We will tell you when these rights apply.
7. Sending data overseas
Your personal data will not be sent overseas.
8. Automated decision making
We will not use your data for any automated decision making.
9. Storage, security and data management
Your personal data will be stored on a survey platform as a means to collect data. The data will then be downloaded and stored in a secure government IT system. Your data will be stored on the survey platform for no more than 2 years.
10. Complaints and more information
When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.
If you are unhappy with the way the Department has acted, you can make a complaint.
If you are not happy with how we are using your personal data, you should first contact dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.
If you are still not happy, or for independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing, you can contact:
The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745 https://ico.org.uk/