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This notice sets out how we will use your personal data, and your rights. It is made under Articles 13 and 14 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).Ìý

For data protection purposes, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is the data controller.Ìý

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We process personal data to respond to letters, emails or other communications from members of the public, parliamentarians, and representatives of organisations.

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We will process the following personal data:

• your nameÌý
• your organisationÌý
• your organisation sizeÌý
• your organisation sectorÌýÌý
• your occupationÌý
• your email addressÌý
• your senior responsible officer’s contact detailsÌý
• evidence of your organisation’s device donation schemeÌý

We will also process:

• any other information you volunteer about yourselfÌý
• special category data or data about criminal convictions if you volunteer such information

Special categories of personal data include:Ìý

• data about racial or ethnic originÌý
• political opinionsÌý
• religious or philosophical beliefsÌý
• trade union membershipÌý
• health dataÌý
• genetic dataÌý
• data concerning an individual’s sex life or sexual orientationÌý
• biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural personÌý

Legal basis for processing data

The processing of personal data is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller. In this case, that is being accountable and transparent about the functions and policies for which the department is responsible.Ìý

Where special category data or data about criminal convictions is volunteered by a correspondent, our legal basis for processing it is:Ìý

The processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department. The substantial public interest is being accountable and transparent about the functions and policies for which the department is responsible.

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Your information may be shared with other public bodies, or the devolved administrations, where necessary. This is in order to provide a full answer to you, or where we need to transfer correspondence to a more appropriate body for an answer.Ìý

Your information may also be shared with third parties, including partner organisations involved in the development of the charter and government agencies, in order to provide a full answer to you.Ìý

Your information may be shared with your MP if they are writing on your behalf.Ìý

As personal data will be stored on our IT infrastructure it will also be accessible by our data processors who provide email, document management, storage, system troubleshooting and support services. These processors do not use your data for their own purposes.

How we receive personal dataÌý

If we did not receive your personal data from you, it may have been provided by your MP, or by another person writing in on your behalf, or by another correspondent with your consent.

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Personal information in correspondence will usually be deleted 5 calendar years after the correspondence or case is closed or concluded.Ìý

Public correspondence may be kept if it is sufficiently significant that it should be retained for the historical record.

Automated decision makingÌýÌýÌý

Your personal data will not be subject to automated decision making, including profiling. ÌýÌý

International transfersÌýÌý

Your personal data will be processed in the UK, however as it is stored on our IT infrastructure, and shared with our data processors, it may be transferred outside of the UK but will remain within the European Economic Area (EEA). Your data will receive the same level of protection in the EEA as it does in the UK, through the safeguard of .

Your rightsÌý

You have the right to:Ìý

• request information about how your personal data is processed, and to request a copy of that personal dataÌý
• request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delayÌý
• request that any incomplete personal data is completed, including by means of a supplementary statementÌý
• request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for it to be processedÌý
• in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) to request that the processing of your personal data is restrictedÌý
• object to the processing of your personal dataÌý

A full list of your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is available on the .

Contact details

Contact the DSIT Data Protection Officer (DPO) if you:Ìý

• have any questions about anything in this documentÌý
• think that your personal data has been misused or mishandledÌý

Email: dataprotection@DSIT.gov.ukÌýÌý

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance using the contact details above.ÌýÌý

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If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an UK independent regulator.ÌýThe Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Email icocasework@ico.org.uk
Website:

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.ÌýÌý

Updates to this noticeÌý

We may change this privacy notice. When we make changes to this notice, the ‘last updated’ date at the top of this page will also change. Any changes to this privacy notice will apply to you and your data immediately. If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, DSIT will take reasonable steps to make sure you know.Ìý

Added details:Ìý

• concerning the scope of correspondence to be managed via the CoMS solutionÌý
• on the data we will processÌý
• on the special category dataÌý
• of the use of data about offences/convictions.ÌýÌý
• details regarding the use of AIÌý
• details on the data processors

Last update: 3 October 2025