Guidance

English Language Review: privacy notice

Published 8 September 2026

Applies to England

This privacy notice explains how the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and its research contractor, Alma Economics, will use your personal data as part of a review of English language provision. It also explains your rights under UK data protection law and how to contact us if you have questions or concerns.

Common information that applies to everyone is set out in the first part of this notice. A section further down explains how this applies to you specifically depending on which group you are in. If you would like a copy of this privacy notice in another format, please contact us using the details below.

Part A: Information that applies to everyone

1. Who is responsible for your personal data

MHCLG is the data controller for personal data collected and processed for this evaluation. This means MHCLG is responsible for deciding how your data is used and for keeping it safe.

Alma Economics is the data processor, appointed by MHCLG under a contract awarded through the Step Ukraine Research Framework. Alma Economics carries out the research and processes your data on MHCLG’s behalf, under MHCLG’s instructions and a Data Processing Agreement.

2. How to contact us

If you have any questions about this notice or how your data is being used, contact:

MHCLG Data Protection Officer: dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.

3. Why we are doing this research

MHCLG has commissioned Alma Economics to carry out a review of English language provision across England. The research aims to understand how English language provision is delivered, how learners access and engage with provision, how local areas prioritise and target support, and what factors influence participation and outcomes.

The review forms part of wider cross-government work to strengthen the evidence base on English language provision and integration. Findings will be used to inform policy development and improve understanding of effective delivery approaches. Findings may be published on GOV.UK in anonymised form and no individual participant will be identified in any published outputs.

4. Our lawful basis for using your data

UK data protection law requires us to identify a lawful basis for using your personal data. For this evaluation, MHCLG relies on:

• Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR – public task. MHCLG has a public function to make and review resettlement and integration policy, and this evaluation is necessary for the performance of that function.
• Article 9(2)(g) of the UK GDPR – substantial public interest. This is because the research is being carried out to support government policy development, service improvement and the effective delivery of public services relating to English language provision, integration and community cohesion. Appropriate safeguards are in place to protect participants’ information.

Your participation in any survey or interview is completely voluntary as outlined in Section 7.

5. Information about your health, wellbeing and other sensitive topics

We may collect information relating to nationality, language preferences and other demographic characteristics where necessary for recruitment, interpretation or analysis. We may also receive information that reveals special category data if participants choose to discuss their personal experiences during interviews. Participants are free to decline any question and can stop the interview at any time.

You can decline to answer any question at any time without giving a reason.

6. Where your data comes from

How we obtained your contact details depends on which group of participants you are in. Please see Part B of this notice (‘Information for your specific group’) for the details that apply to you.

7. Your participation is voluntary

Taking part in any survey or interview is entirely voluntary. You can:

• choose not to take part at all
• skip any question you do not want to answer
• pause and return to the survey later
• withdraw at any point during a survey or interview without giving a reason and without any consequences

8. Who we share your data with

Your personal data is only shared with the people and organisations who need it to deliver the evaluation:

• Alma Economics:  the research contractor, collects and analyses your data on MHCLG’s behalf
• MHCLG:  receives only anonymised reports

We do not share your personal data with the Home Office, the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Work and Benefits (DWP), or any other government department for the purposes of this evaluation.

Reports and outputs published from this evaluation are anonymised. Care is taken to make sure individual participants cannot be identified, including from quotes or case studies.

Some authorised members of the Alma Economics project team may access personal data from within countries covered by UK adequacy regulations. Appropriate contractual and organisational safeguards are in place.

9. How long we keep your data

We only keep your personal data for as long as we need it. The retention periods are:

• contact details (name, email, phone): kept by Alma Economics for up to 6 months after fieldwork ends, then securely deleted. We keep these for this period so that we can respond to any safeguarding concern that arises after the survey closes
• survey responses (with your name removed): kept by Alma Economics for up to 6 months after the evaluation ends then securely deleted
• audio recordings of interviews: deleted as soon as the transcript has been checked, and in any case within 6 months of fieldwork ending
• anonymised reports: published as part of the public evidence base. These contain no personal data and may be retained indefinitely

10. How your data is kept secure

MHCLG and Alma Economics take the security of your personal data seriously.

Alma Economics stores research data in secure systems with access restricted to authorised members of the project team on a need-to-know basis. Data is encrypted when stored and when transferred. Personal identifiers, such as names and contact details, are separated from research responses at the earliest practicable opportunity.

• Alma Economics holds Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation and operates information security controls aligned with ISO 27001 standards
• all project team members receive training in data protection, research ethics and safeguarding
• interview recordings and transcripts are stored securely and are only accessible to authorised researchers involved in the project. Where interpretation is required, interpreters will only receive the minimum information necessary to support participation

11. Automated decision-making

We do not use your data to make any automated decisions about you, and we do not use your data for profiling. All analysis is carried out by qualified researchers.

12. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

• right to be informed: to know how your data is being used (this notice)
• right of access: to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• right to rectification: to ask us to correct any data that is wrong or out of date
• right to erasure: in certain circumstances, to ask us to delete your data
• right to restrict processing: to ask us to limit how we use your data while a query is being resolved
• right to object: to object to our use of your data on grounds relating to your particular situation, where we are relying on public task as our lawful basis

Some of these rights are limited in research contexts, for example, once your data has been fully anonymised in a report, we may no longer be able to identify which data is yours.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact MHCLG’s Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk. We will respond within one calendar month.

13. How to complain

If you are concerned about how your data is being used, please contact MHCLG’s Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk so we can try to resolve it.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745

ico.org.uk

Part B: Information for your specific group

This part of the notice explains specifically how this evaluation affects you depending on which group of participants you are in. Please find your group below.

B1. Local authority, Strategic Migration Partnership and Government Stakeholders

Why you have been contacted

You have been contacted because of your professional role in the design, commissioning, funding, coordination or delivery of English language provision.

What data we will collect

• your name and professional contact details
• your organisation and role
• information you provide during interviews, focus groups or surveys

What we will ask you about

We will ask about the design, funding, commissioning and delivery of English language provision, including prioritisation, unmet demand, innovation, digital delivery, learner engagement and local delivery challenges. Interviews typically last up to one hour.

Specific protections for you

Reports will not identify individual participants. Quotes may be used in anonymised form and will not be attributed in a way that could reasonably identify you.

B2. English Language Delivery Partners

Why you have been contacted

You have been contacted because your organisation delivers English language provision or supports learners to access provision. This may include further education colleges, adult community learning providers, voluntary and community sector organisations, charities, or private providers.

What data we will collect

• your name and professional contact details
• your organisation and role
• information you provide during interviews, focus groups or surveys

What we will ask you about

We will ask about local delivery models, barriers and facilitators to participation, digital provision, learner needs, examples of effective practice and unmet demand.

Specific protections for you

Reports will not identify individual participants. Quotes may be used in anonymised form and will not be attributed in a way that could reasonably identify you.

B3. English Language Learners

Why you have been contacted

You have been invited to participate because you are currently receiving, or have recently received, English language provision in England.

What data we will collect

• your name and contact details
• your preferred language for communication
• basic demographic information, such as age group, nationality, gender and English language proficiency
• information you provide during interviews

What we will ask you about

We will ask about your experiences of learning English, barriers to participation, the support you have received, digital and in-person learning, and how English language provision has affected your daily life, confidence, employment opportunities and wider participation in society. Interviews usually last around 30 minutes, or up to one hour where interpretation is required.

Thank you payment

If you complete an interview, you will receive a £15 Love2Shop e-voucher as a thank-you for your time. We will use your contact details only for administering the voucher and arranging your participation.

Specific protections for you

Reports will not identify individual participants. Quotes may be used in anonymised form and will not be attributed in a way that could reasonably identify you.

B4. Non-Learners

Why you have been contacted

You have been invited to participate because you have not accessed English language provision, have withdrawn from provision, or enquired about provision without enrolling.

What data we will collect

• your name and contact details
• your preferred language for communication
• basic demographic information, such as age group, nationality, gender and English language proficiency
• information you provide during interviews

What we will ask you about

We will ask about factors that have prevented or discouraged participation in English language learning, including practical, financial, personal, digital or logistical barriers. Interviews generally last around 30 minutes, or up to one hour where interpretation is required.

Thank you payment

If you complete an interview, you will receive a £15 Love2Shop e-voucher as a thank-you for your time. We will use your contact details only for administering the voucher and arranging your participation.

Specific protections for you

Reports will not identify individual participants. Quotes may be used in anonymised form and will not be attributed in a way that could reasonably identify you.