Guidance

Boat registration privacy notice

Published 20 November 2019

Privacy notice: how we use your personal data

We are the Environment Agency and we manage the boat registration service. We are the data controller for this service. A data controller determines how and why personal data (also called ‘personal information’) is processed.

Our personal information charter explains your rights and how we deal with your information.

The personal data we need

The personal data we collect includes:

• names
• addresses
• contact details

We are allowed to process your personal data because we have official authority to issue boat registrations for the waterways where are the navigation authority. The lawful basis for processing your personal data is to perform a task in the public interest that is set out in law.

If you do not give us the personal data requested then we will not be able to process your boat registration application.

What we do with your personal data

We use your personal data to take payment, issue a suitable boat registration, make sure conditions of the registration are met and take enforcement action if you do not keep to the conditions of the registration.

We will also contact you with important information relating to your registration, boat safety, navigation and environmental matters. We may use the personal information you give us to:

• consult with you on registration, boat safety, navigation and environmental issues
• ask for your feedback on our service

We will share your personal data with our design, mailing and email service providers to allow delivery of your registration renewal and eNewsletters, These service providers are data processors.

We may also share your data with a data processor to ask for your feedback or to take part in consultations.

We may share your personal data with Shared Services Connect Limited (SSCL) who process your data on our behalf. SSCL use the personal data to set up Direct Debits, send invoices, payment reminders and refunds where applicable. SSCL is a data processor.

Data processors working on our behalf will only use your personal data in line with this privacy notice.

We may pass on your personal data in certain limited circumstances if it is lawful to do so; for example if there is an incident on the waterways or where mooring fees are unpaid.

We do not use your data to make an automated decision or for automated profiling.

How long we keep your personal data

We will keep your personal data for 7 years after the registration period has expired, in line with our information retention policy. SSCL will keep your personal data for a minimum of 7 years after producing your last Direct Debit, invoice or credit note for audit purposes.

Where your personal data is processed and stored

We store and process your personal data on our servers in the UK. SSCL also store and process your personal data on their servers in the UK, and store hard copies of your personal data with a third party document storage supplier in the UK.

We will not transfer the personal data that you provide outside the European Economic Area.

Contact details

Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) is responsible for independent advice and monitoring of the Environment Agency’s use of personal information.

If you have any concerns or queries about how we process personal data, or if you would like to make a complaint or request relating to data protection, please contact our DPO using the following details:

Data Protection Officer

Environment Agency
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH

Email: dataprotection@environment-agency.gov.uk

You can find out about your personal data rights from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO regulate the data protection legislation. You have the right to lodge a complaint with them at any time.

This notices was last updated on 17 September 2019.