Privacy
Data protection legislation
The UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 together determine how, when and why any organisation can process personal data. Personal data is any information that can identify a living individual. These laws exist to ensure that your data is managed safely and used responsibly. They also provide you with certain rights in respect of your data and create a responsibility on us, as a user of personal data, to provide you with certain information.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects and processes information, both directly from individuals and in bulk from other organisations, and does so using a variety of methods.
If you have any queries about how your personal data is used, please contact external.affairs@ons.gov.uk.
The identity and contact details of the data controller
The data controller is the person or organisation who decides what personal data shall be processed and for what purpose. For the vast majority of our work the ONS is the controller and makes those decisions. However, in some instances we provide statistical services to other organisations or government departments and collect or process data on their behalf. Whenever that is the case we will let you know.
You can get in contact with ONS by email or post:
Customer Contact Centre
Room D265
Office for National Statistics
Government Buildings
Cardiff Road, Newport
South Wales
NP10 8XG
The contact details of our Data Protection Officer
Our Data Protection Officer is the person charged with providing the ONS with advice and guidance on the ways we can best protect the information we collect and use, and they are involved in all the major decisions we make in relation to personal data. If you have any queries or concerns regarding your data, or wish to exercise any of your rights (see later in this guidance), then please visit the data protection page on the ONS website.
Specific data collected
The data collected for the ONS’s consultations include:
- individuals' names, organisations, positions, emails and sectors
- how individuals and organisations use data and statistics, and their future requirements for these
- feedback on proposed changes to ONS methodologies or statistical outputs
- people's views of the ONS; their overall satisfaction and view on the quality of statistics, trustworthiness, helpfulness and engagement
- confirmation of preference over future contact.
Consultation information is gathered through this consultation and user engagement website as well as by email, events and meetings.
The purposes for which personal data are processed
For the purposes of consultations and user engagement, any data collected will be used to inform the ONS’s decisions on major changes to its products and services, and to gather feedback to improve user experiences. Data collected may also be used to get a better understanding of users and their needs, and to steer ONS’s strategic priorities and business planning.
Information on how we use data to produce statistics and to undertake statistical research is available.
The legal basis for the processing
Data protection legislation requires that all processing of personal data is undertaken under one or more of a set list of conditions.
Unless stated otherwise all ONS statistical processing is undertaken under the following condition:
“Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.”
The ONS is a statutory body, meaning we were created by legislation, specifically the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, with the objective of promoting and safeguarding the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good. All our collection and use of data comes from powers that can be found in that Act or other UK legislation. A full list of all the legislation that we use is available.
An additional condition is required for any processing of special personal data. Special personal data is information about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, sex life or sexual orientation. The condition that the ONS uses to process such data is:
“Processing is necessary for archiving in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes based on UK law.”
Sharing of collected consultation responses data
At the ONS, we treat all data with respect, ensuring it remains secure and confidential. To support statistical production and research, we may share information as follows, where lawfully permitted.
- To support transparency, we always publish an anonymised summary of responses. While summary reports may include responding organisations, they will not link specific comments to organisations or individuals unless permission has been given.
- In some cases, full responses may be published. Where this applies, it will be clearly stated in the consultation overview and supporting materials.
- Names of individual respondents will only be published with their permission. We do not publish email addresses or other personal details.
- For joint consultations, response data may be shared with the partner organisation. These consultations will be clearly identified and co-branded.
- Responses are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000, although personal data may be exempt from disclosure.
The storing of personal consultation response data
To help inform ongoing user needs and statistical planning, personal data from responses that is not published may be retained for up to ten years, with retention monitored on a regular basis and personal data deleted when it is no longer needed.
Data subject rights
As a data subject (someone whose personal data we hold) you have rights available to you under data protection law. If you wish to exercise any of these rights then please contact our Data Protection Officer, but please be aware that we may not be required to comply if the data is being held for statistical purposes only. Compliance requirements are set out in the Data Protection Act 2018.
- You have the right to request from any controller that holds your personal data: access to the information they hold about you and to amend any wrong or inaccurate information they hold about you.
- You have the right to object to your personal data being processed.
- You have the right, in some circumstances, to request for any controller to erase any personal data they may hold about you, stop processing your personal data, or pass any information they hold about you to another controller.
Further information on the rights available to you and the circumstances under which you can exercise them, is available from the Information Commissioner.
The Information Commissioner
The Information Commissioner’s Office is the independent body tasked with regulating data protection within the UK. They can provide you with additional information regarding data protection and your rights, and will deal with any complaints you may have regarding our use of your data:
0303 123 1113
casework@ico.org.uk
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Statutory provision of information
Further information on how we collect, use and store data can be found on our data policies page. Further information on the specific surveys we run is available on our information for households and individuals page.
Delib Privacy Information
Delib's software (this website) enables organisations to set up and operate activities, through which they can engage with you.
This site is managed by the controlling organisation, Office for National Statistics. When you access and use this site, the personal information you have submitted to these activities will go to the organisation. Delib will not access your personal information unless requested to do so by the organisation, and only for the purposes of assisting them with the administration of this site.
Accessing your Personal Information
If you have any questions or requests about your personal information, for example to request a copy of it, or to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong, please contact the organisation (as stated in their Privacy Notice / Privacy Statement / Privacy Policy). It is the controlling organisation's responsibility to answer any questions or requests about your personal information.
Collection of Browser Information
The information provided by your computer when you use this website is collected by Delib. For example, your browser type, IP address, language preference, referring site and the date and time. The purpose for collecting this information is to maintain the security of the website and for operating and improving the software.