Guidance

Animal support measures privacy notice

Updated 29 October 2024

Applies to England and Wales

Details on how the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) collects and processes personal data relating to animal support measures.

1. Purpose for Processing

Animal Support Measures consists of 6 services:

1.1 Animal Movement Licensing Service (BCMS)

Compliance with statutory detailed rules regarding the minimum level of controls in the system for identification and registration of Bovine, Sheep and Goats animals.

1.2 Cattle Identification and Compliance

Regulations for the competent authority to identify cattle, sheep and goats, plus compliance regulations including on-the-spot inspections of cattle holdings in Great Britain (GB).

1.3 Cattle Tracing

A system for the identification and registration of cattle.

1.4 Livestock Unique Identification Service (LUIS)

The manufacture and allocation of cattle, sheep and goat ear tags.

1.5 Sheep and Goat Inspections and Compliance

Regulations for the competent authority to identify ovine and caprine animals, including on-the-spot inspections of GB ovine and caprine animal holdings.

1.6 Sheep, Goat and Deer Movements

Compliance with statutory detailed rules regarding the minimum level of controls in the system for identification and registration of sheep and deer. Compliance with statutory detailed rules regarding livestock traceability. Reporting and recording animal movements for effective disease control and food safety.

2. Why we are able to process your personal data

The law allows us to process your personal data under article 6(1)(e) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). We are allowed to process personal data when we need to carry out a public task.

3. What personal data we process

The information we collect and process is:

• customer registration information
• bank account information
• county parish holding (CPH) numbers
• ear tag numbers
• herd books, keeper’s record books and related records
• details of anyone who acts for you, for example an agent

We may process your personal data including your email address in any questions or feedback you send to us. We may also use your information to contact you about future grants and updates to farming policy that would be relevant to you.

4. Your responsibility with other people’s personal data

If you’ve included personal data about other people in your records, you must tell them. You must provide them with a copy of this privacy notice so that they know how their personal data will be used.

5. Where your personal data is stored

We store, transfer and process your personal data on our servers in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU).

6. How long we keep your personal data

We keep your information for the lifespan of the animal.

Please refer to our Personal Information Charter and the section ‘How long we will keep data’ for information on any potential exceptions.

7. Who we share your personal data with

We share your personal data with:

• Food Standards Agency
• National Food Crime Unit
• Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
• Defra Investigation Services
• Trading Standards
• local authorities
• external officials
• slaughterhouses
• ear tag manufacturers
• Approved Livestock Identification Manufacturers’ Association
• Livestock Information Ltd
• Farm Advisory Service
• Animal Reporting and Movement Service
• Agriculture Horticulture Development Board (also the British Pig Executive)
• Ulster Farmers Union
• Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate
• Welsh Government Rural Payments Wales
• Defra policy
• farm assurance schemes

8. Your rights

Read our Personal Information Charter to find out your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).

9. How to make a complaint

If you have concerns about how RPA uses your personal data, please read how to get in touch or make a complaint.