Data Protection – Privacy Notice
This privacy notice relates to the personal data processed by the Office of Michael Shanks, Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, in relation to casework and policy queries.
I take your privacy seriously and am committed to handling your personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently.
I only collect and use your information where it is necessary to help you, represent you, or carry out my duties as a Member of Parliament. I aim to use the minimum amount of information needed and keep it secure.
Who is the Data Controller?
The Data Controller is Michael Shanks, Member of Parliament for Rutherglen.
What does the office do?
The office discharges the duties and functions of an elected Member of Parliament. As part of this work, we conduct constituency casework and respond to policy queries, for which we must process personal data of our constituents. We also conduct surveys and hold mailing lists for newsletters and other local updates.
How do we process data?
This office primarily processes personal data under the lawful basis of public task, as part of the role of an elected Member of Parliament. In some circumstances, where this does not apply, we will rely on your consent.
We are committed to ensuring that the information we collect, and use is appropriate for this purpose and does not constitute an invasion of your privacy.
What sort of data do you store?
If you contact me regarding an inquiry, a local concern, or a complaint, I will normally need to store your contact details to deal with your inquiry, concern, or complaint, and to keep you updated about this. This is considered to be “normal category data” under the GDPR.
Other personal data you may provide to me may include details about your personal and family life, social circumstances and business activities, your employment and education details, financial information or information about your housing situation etc. Depending on what views, issues or experiences you wish to discuss with me, you may be sharing “special category” data with me. For example, this could include details about race or ethnic origin, political or religious views, or physical or mental health.
If you are a supplier, I will normally need to store your name, contact and payment details for the purposes of the contract between us.
We only process personal data that is necessary and relevant for the purpose for which it has been provided.
Will we share your data with anyone else?
Your personal data will be processed by me and my office staff so that we can manage your enquiry effectively.
If you have contacted me about a personal or policy issue, we may need to pass your personal data on to a third-party in the course of dealing with you, for example, local authorities, government agencies, and other public bodies. Any third parties that we may share your data with are obliged to keep your details securely, and to use them only for the basis upon which they were originally intended.
We will usually only share your personal data with other organisations with your consent. In limited circumstances, we may share your information without your consent where there is a legal obligation to do so, where it is necessary to protect you or someone else from serious harm, or where it is otherwise permitted under data protection law.
Where information is shared, we will ensure that only the minimum necessary information is disclosed and that it is used only for the purpose for which it was provided.
We will not share the personal information of members of any mailing list or those in receipt of my newsletters.
In any case, we will not use your data in a way that goes beyond your reasonable expectations in contacting us.
We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling. All decisions are made by staff in the office.
For how long will you keep my personal data?
Casework and policy queries are often revisited to provide the best service and representation for constituents, from whom we may continue to receive correspondence. Unless specifically requested by you, my office will hold your personal data for the duration of my time a Member of Parliament. Following an election, if unsuccessful, or if I stand down from Parliament, all records will be destroyed. If there is still ongoing work in relation to your case, we will ask your permission to pass this to the next MP.
All personal data is stored securely and access is limited to those who need it for casework purposes.
What rights do I have to my personal data?
At any point while we are in possession of or processing your personal data, you, the data subject, have the following rights:
How can I contact somebody about my privacy?
You can get in touch with our office by letter, email or telephone using the details at the foot of this page.
Please note that we will ask for identification (passport, driving license, utility bill from the last 3 months) should you choose to exercise any of the above rights in relation to personal data we hold.
Complaints
In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how your personal data is being processed by this office, or how your complaint has been handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can find details of how to make a complaint here: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/data-protection-complaints/
Michael Shanks MP
Member of Parliament for Rutherglen
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA
Constituency office:
Aspire Business Centre
16 Farmeloan Road
Rutherglen G73 1DL
Email: michael.shanks.mp@parliament.uk
Telephone: 0141 319 8998