Residents’ Experience of Remediation Survey: privacy notice
Published 15 July 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/residents-experience-of-remediation-survey-privacy-notice/residents-experience-of-remediation-survey-privacy-notice
This privacy notice is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under UK data protection legislation.
1. The identity and contact details of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and our Data Protection Officer
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is the data controller. The Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.
Verian is the data processor for this project, meaning they will process personal data on behalf of MHCLG.
2. What personal data we are collecting and why
We are contacting you and inviting you take part in this survey as your address has been selected from a sample of buildings within MHCLG’s Building Remediation Portfolio Dataset. This dataset holds information about residential buildings across England and helps the Building Remediation Portfolio meet its objectives regarding the remediation of unsafe residential buildings. This includes understanding the experiences of residents. The Building Safety Programme Privacy Notice is also available.
Your personal data is being collected to understand your experiences of living with unsafe cladding or other external wall system (EWS) fire safety issues, and the remediation process. The findings will be used to build a better understanding of residents’ experiences. We are collecting personal data for this activity because we would like to understand experiences of people from different groups and backgrounds. This will allow us to build a representative picture of residents’ experiences.
The following personal data is being collected for this purpose:
- demographics: age, language preference
- housing information: floor number
- health and accessibility: need for evacuation assistance, wellbeing
- opinions: open-text responses
Information about your building, remediation programme and process, and local area will also be attached to your survey responses and any personal data you provide. This will help us understand more about your building’s situation when we look at the findings. However, Verian will not attach any identifiable building information, such as building name or postcode, to the data that it shares with MHCLG.
For the current research, Verian, who is the data processor, processing data on our behalf, will store your personal data. The data collected will be analysed and reported at the aggregate level. Additionally, our data processor Verian and their sub processors may collect contact information such as name, email, phone and postal address for the purpose of delivering the survey and providing the incentive. Any contact details provided to Verian or their sub processors will not be shared with MHCLG unless you give explicit agreement for them to do so.
Verian, our data processor, will share de-identified data it collects from you in the survey with MHCLG. All data will be securely transferred from Verian to MHCLG via Egress Secure File Transfer.
3. Lawful basis for processing the data
The data protection legislation sets out when we are lawfully allowed to process your data. The lawful basis that applies to this processing is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR – public task.
For processing of special category data, we will rely on Article 9(2)(g) of the UK GDPR - substantial public interest. The relevant substantial public interest condition in Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 is 6. Statutory and government purposes.
4. With whom we will be sharing the data
Your de-identified survey responses attached to your building information, will only be shared with the required analysts and policy teams working on the survey project within MHCLG.
We will use Microsoft SharePoint to store the survey data. This means that your survey data may be processed by Microsoft as part of providing the service. Microsoft is an approved data processor for MHCLG. All data will be stored in restricted access files.
Summary findings from the survey will be published on GOV.UK. This may include reports and aggregated data in tables. You will not be identifiable in any of these outputs. Further analysis of the findings may be shared with other government departments or our delivery partners; you will not be identifiable in any of these.
Our data processor Verian will use sub processors as part of this project.
- Merit: If you choose to receive an online voucher, you will be asked to provide your name and email address to the website ‘Merit’
- Greens: Greens will be provided with your postal address for the purpose of sending survey invitation letters and reminders
- GDCC (Global Data Collection Company): If you get in touch with Verian and request to complete the survey by telephone in select languages the interview may be conducted by GDCC. GDCC will be provided with your name and telephone number for the purpose of conducting this
- BMR (Bright Marketing Research): BMR will host the survey and will receive and process all information you provide when completing it, including your responses to questions. They will also process your name and contact details for the purpose of survey administration
- Microsoft Azure: Verian uses secure Microsoft Azure cloud services to store and process survey data. Data is stored in access‑controlled data centres in the UK, with some services hosted in the EU. Data is encrypted and access is limited to authorised Verian project staff only, using appropriate security controls
There are some specific situations where we are obliged by law to pass your information to third parties regardless of what you agree to. This is only in instances where sharing your data is important to protect yourself and, or others. For example, in instances when we become aware of:
- a risk of harm to a child or a vulnerable person
- an immediate, serious risk to your own safety
- an immediate, serious risk to the safety of others
- evidence of you breaking the law
5. For how long we will keep the personal data, or criteria used to determine the retention period
All data processed for this survey will be deleted by Verian within 12 months after the end of the contract. This retention period is necessary for quality control purposes, so Verian can respond to any follow-up queries participants may have, and to enable Verian to share data with MHCLG and follow up on any queries about the data or reports. MHCLG will retain de-identified data (your individual survey responses attached to your building information) for 5 years. This retention period is necessary to allow for analysis, evaluation, audit and policy use. Reports and aggregated data in tables may be kept indefinitely. You will not be identifiable in any of these outputs.
6. Your rights – for example, access, rectification, erasure
The data we are collecting is your personal data, and you have rights that affect what happens to it. You have the right to:
- know that we are using your personal data
- see what data we have about you
- ask to have your data corrected, and to ask how we check the information we hold is accurate
- complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (see ‘Complaints and more information’)
In some circumstances you may also have the right to have all data about you deleted, or to object to particular types of use of your data. We will tell you when these rights apply.
If you would like to exercise your rights, please get in touch with the MHCLG Data Protection Officer (contact details at the start of this privacy notice).
7. Sending data overseas
Your personal data will not be sent outside of the EU; it will be securely stored in the UK or EU by MHCLG, its processors and sub-processors.
8. Automated decision making
We will not use your data for any automated decision making.
9. Storage, security and data management
Processes are in place to ensure the secure transfer, handling, storage, and destruction of the data. These are specified in MHCLG’s Data Processing Agreement with Verian.
10. Complaints and more information
When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.
If you are unhappy with the way the department has acted, you can make a complaint.
If you want to make a Subject Access Request, another request in relation to your rights, or if you are not happy with how we are using your personal data, you should first contact dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.
If you are still not happy, or for independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing, you can contact:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745