Personal information charter
This Information Charter sets out the standards you can expect from the Northern Ireland Office when we request or hold information (“personal data”) about you.
We will ensure that we treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Personal data is information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. This includes natural persons who can be identified directly from the information, or indirectly from that information, in combination with other information. Information about deceased persons, companies, or public authorities is not personal data.
We may need to handle personal information about you to provide better public services.
This charter explains how we look after that information.
Our Commitment to Your Personal Information
When the Northern Ireland Office collects, holds, uses, or processes your personal data, you are entitled to be told:
• The purpose for which the data is being used, and our lawful basis for processing it.
• How long we will keep your data, and who we will share it with.
• Whether it will be transferred or accessed outside the UK or EU, and what legal safeguards are in place to protect it.
• About any rights you may have, including the right to access your information, or to object to its being used.
• About your right to complain to the Information Commissioner if you feel that your personal information has been mishandled.
• How to contact NIO’s Data Protection Officer.
You are also entitled to have your personal information:
• Protected and kept secure.
• Kept accurate and up to date.
• Not used for purposes which are incompatible with those for which it was collected.
• Kept only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected (unless it must be kept as part of the historic record).
We will only process the personal information we need, ensuring it is relevant and limited to those purposes. We will not make it available for commercial use (such as marketing) without your permission. We also process special category and criminal conviction personal data. This data is considered more sensitive and will only be processed in more limited circumstances, with appropriate safeguards in place, in line with data protection legislation.
You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, if that decision produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects, unless an exemption applies. For any significant decisions informed by automated systems, a human reviewer will be involved in the final determination. If you are subject to a solely automated decision, you will be informed and given a clear pathway to challenge the decision and request human intervention.
Your Responsibilities
In return, we kindly ask you to:
• Share with us accurate information.
• Tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes, such as a new address.
This helps us to keep your information reliable and up to date.
What the Northern Ireland Office uses personal information for
The Northern Ireland Office collects information for various purposes to carry out its functions and deliver public services. We handle personal information in order to comply with our legal obligations and other pension, employment and statutory equality legislation. The processing of personal information is necessary for the performance of a public task or in the exercise of official authority. While the specific information collected depends on your interaction with us, purposes may include:
• Supporting the functions of government departments.
• Administering various public services and policies.
• Communication and engagement with the public.
• Internal administration, human resources, and finance.
• Preventing and detecting crime and protecting public funds.
• Research and analysis related to our functions.
• In exceptional circumstances, we may process your information to protect you, your community, or the wider public.
Contacting Us
The Northern Ireland Office has a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who is responsible for ensuring the Northern Ireland Office is compliant with data protection legislation.
If you have any concerns about how NIO is handling your personal data or wish to exercise your rights, you may contact us at:
Email: FOI@nio.gov.uk
Complaints
If you have any concerns about how the Northern Ireland Office is handling your personal data, we kindly ask you to give us the chance to try and put it right or address your concerns first, by contacting our Data Protection Officer.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are concerned about how your data is being processed. For independent advice, you can contact the ICO at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Fax: 01625 524510
Email: icocasework@ico.org.uk
Changes to this Charter
We will update this page when our charter or policy changes. Please check this page to make sure you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and our commitment to your personal information.