FOI release

Request for information on software based data destruction assurance

Published 24 March 2026

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foi-request-software-based-data-destruction-assurance/request-for-information-on-software-based-data-destruction-assurance

7th Floor, The Cabot
25 Cabot Square
London E14 4QZ
T: +44 (0)20 7215 6537
E: Enquiries@GroceriesCode.gov.uk
www.gov.uk/gca

Sent by email

12 March 2026

Freedom of Information Act: Request for information on Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) activities

Thank you for your email of 12 February 2026 regarding software based data destruction assurance and the GCA. You asked:

  1. Please confirm whether departmental policy, contractual terms or internal procedures require an explicit outcome based warranty or guarantee confirming that personal data has been rendered irretrievable through software based erasure, whether carried out internally or by an external provider.

  2. Where software based data destruction is performed internally, what recorded evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that the final data state is irretrievable?

  3. Where software based data destruction is performed by a third party provider, does the department hold recorded information demonstrating that any warranty or assurance provided explicitly extends to the software erasure method used and its claimed effectiveness? If so, please confirm the recorded nature of that verification.

  4. Where no explicit outcome based warranty is required or provided, what recorded form of evidential assurance does the department rely upon to conclude that software based erasure has rendered personal data irretrievable?

General right of access to information held by public authorities

Under section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 anyone making a request for information to the GCA, as a public authority, is entitled to be informed in writing whether it holds that information, and if so, to be supplied with it.

The GCA does not hold the information you have requested.

The GCA’s IT services are provided by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Integrated Corporate Services (ICS), a shared corporate service established by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. Due to the nature of the information that you are seeking, your request may be more appropriately addressed to DBT (FOI@businessandtrade.gov.uk) and ICS (foi.requests@energysecurity.gov.uk) who may be able to assist you.

Appeals Procedure

If you wish to complain about the way in which your request for information has been handled, you may seek an internal review by writing, setting out why you believe your request has not been dealt with effectively, to:

The FOI Review Co-ordinator
Groceries Code Adjudicator
7th Floor, 25 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QZ

Alternatively, you can email: enquiries@groceriescode.gov.uk.

We will aim to deal with your Internal Review request within 20 working days of receipt or, if that is not possible, advise you of a date when we expect to complete the review.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the Internal Review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can do this on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

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