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Guidance

Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) privacy notice

Updated 20 August 2026

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-agricultural-supply-chain-adjudicator-asca-making-a-complaint/asca-complaints-privacy-notice

This privacy notice explains how the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA) office will use and manage your personal data. If you have any queries about the content of this privacy notice, email asca@defra.gov.uk.

This privacy notice covers:

  • providing feedback
  • stakeholder engagement
  • raising issues and complaints to the adjudicator
  • adjudicator-led investigations under the Fair Dealings Obligations Regulations

Who collects your personal data

As the ASCA sits within Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Secretary of State for Defra is the controller for the personal data we collect.

If you need further information about how we use your personal data and your associated rights, you can contact the data protection manager at data.protection@defra.gov.uk.

The Defra Data Protection Officer is responsible for checking that we comply with legislation. You can contact them at DefraGroupDataProtectionOfficer@defra.gov.uk.

What personal data we collect and how it is used

We collect your:

  • name
  • contact details
  • views, opinions and feedback
  • details of your enquiry or complaint

We collect your personal data to identify you, manage your contact with us and to contact you in relation to regulatory activity and stakeholder engagement.

How your personal data has been obtained, if from a third party

Your personal data may be provided to us by an organisation or agent acting on your behalf or involved in your case.

Lawful basis for processing your personal data

The lawful basis for processing your personal data is consent.

For regulatory activity the processing is necessary for the exercise of official authority vested in the controller by:

If you are party to a milk or pig contract and the Adjudicator initiates a formal investigation there is a legal obligation under Part 9 ‘Enforcement’ of the Enforcing the Fair Dealings Obligations (Milk) 2024 / (Pigs) 2025 Regulations for you to provide evidence, which may include personal data, to the Adjudicator.

Where the processing of your personal data is based on consent. You can withdraw consent at any time by emailing asca@defra.gov.uk. Where the processing of personal data is linked to adjudicator-led investigations under the statutory provisions of the regulations, you cannot withdraw it.

Who we share your personal data with

The ASCA may share your personal data with the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) when there is cross-cutting activity or a related issue with your case that we reasonably think would be of interest to the GCA.

We respect your personal privacy when responding to access to information requests. We only share information when necessary to meet the statutory requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

How long we hold personal data

We will normally keep your personal data for 3 years, unless you inform us you no longer wish to be contacted or your enquiry or complaint lasts longer than 3 years from when you initially contacted the ASCA office. Adjudicator-led investigation related personal data will be retained for 8 years.

What happens if you do not provide the personal data

If you do not provide the personal data, we will be unable to deal with your enquiry or complaint or consider your views, opinions and feedback.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI)

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with the analysis of information provided to us, including survey responses, contract information and case-related data. AI may be used to:

  • identify themes and trends across multiple responses or cases
  • support the assessment of contractual compliance
  • help produce aggregated insights to inform our regulatory and policy functions

Use of automated decision-making or profiling

The personal data you provide is not used for:

  • automated decision making (making a decision by automated means without any human involvement)
  • profiling (automated processing of personal data to evaluate certain things about an individual)

Transfer of your personal data outside of the UK

We will only transfer your personal data to another country that is deemed adequate for data protection purposes.

Your rights

Based on the lawful processing above, your individual rights are:

  • the right to be informed
  • the right of access
  • the right to rectification
  • the right to erasure (consent only)
  • the right to restrict processing
  • the right to data portability (consent only)
  • the right to object (public task only)
  • rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling

More information about your individual rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).

Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office at any time.

Personal information charter

Our personal information charter explains more about your rights over your personal data.

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