Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Tommy Sheppard MP takes your privacy seriously. The office has reviewed its use of data to ensure that we are compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All staff have undertaken GDPR training and will receive regular updates. You can read the full Privacy Notice below.

2. Use and storage of data and use

Tommy Sheppard MP’s office will only use the personal information provided by you to assist with your case and provide the support requested from you. If you have provided explicit consent we will also keep you updated on the work of Tommy Sheppard MP.

3. Storage of your data

Tommy Sheppard MP’s office aims to be paper free. As a result, any documents will be scanned and stored electronically. Information is stored in a secure database called Caseworker MP and through the encrypted system Office 365. Subscribers to my newsletter will have their information stored in a secure database called MailChimp. Any paperwork that is required for a short term basis will be kept in a locked filing cabinet before being returned to you or shredded.

Tommy Sheppard MP – Privacy Notice

1. Scope

All data subjects whose personal data is collected, in line with the requirements of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. Responsibilities

2.1 Tommy Sheppard MP’s Chief of Staff is responsible for ensuring that this notice is made available to data subjects prior to Tommy Sheppard’s constituency office collecting/processing their personal data.

2.2 All employees of Tommy Sheppard who interact with data subjects are responsible for ensuring that this notice is drawn to the data subject’s attention and their consent to the processing of their data is secured.

2.3 All employees were given GDPR training in May 2018 and will receive regular updates.

3. Privacy notice

3.1 Who are we? This is the constituency office for Edinburgh East Westminster constituency. The current Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East is Tommy Sheppard. The office discharges the duties and functions of an elected Member of the UK Parliament. The office provides advocacy, support, political opinions and advice for the residents of Edinburgh East. Our GDPR Owner and data protection lead can be contacted directly here:

The personal data we would like to collect from and process on you is:

Personal data type:Source:
(where our office has obtained the personal data from, if it has not been collected directly from you, the data subject)
Name, address, email address, phone number DoB and relevant information to undertake your case (e.g. NI number, UKVI reference)Directly from you
Name, address, email address, phone number DoB and relevant information to undertake your case (e.g. NI number, UKVI reference)From a third party (e.g. a referral from another organisation or an update from a government department).
Name and addressElectoral Register

The personal data we collect will be used for the following purposes:

  • To assist in helping you with a problem or concern – your details may be shared with a third party in order to do this e.g. a councillor, a welfare rights organisation or a government minister
  • To keep you up to date on a topic you have contacted the office about
  • To promote the democratic process
  • To share news on the work undertaken by your MP (where we have your consent)

Our legal basis for processing for the personal data:

  • In the legitimate interest of role as an MP
  • For newsletter and mailing lists – where we have your explicit consent

Any legitimate interests pursued by us, or by third parties we use, are as follows:

  • As your Member of Parliament, Tommy Sheppard is your elected representative at Westminster
  • As your Member of Parliament it is reasonable to expect that Tommy Sheppard will process your data in order to fulfill his duties.

3.2 Consent

The office of Tommy Sheppard MP processes data because it is within the legitimate role of a Member of Parliament to do so. As an MP Tommy Sheppard is also permitted to process special categories of data – this will only be done where necessary in his role as an MP.

Special categories of personal data concerned may include:

  • Ethnic origin
  • Political opinions
  • Health, biometric or genetic data
  • Trade union membership
  • Religious and philosophical beliefs
  • Sexual orientation

To receive ongoing mailings from the office you must give explicit consent. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting the constituency office.

3.3 Retention period

Tommy Sheppard MP’s office will process personal data:

  1. for as long as required to help a constituent (unless the data subject requests that their information is deleted)
  2. for as long as explicit consent is given to receive newsletters and ongoing mailings

This section has recently been updated: Your data will be retained for a period of two years from when your case was last actioned unless there is considered to a compelling reason for retaining the information longer. Following the retention period, your information will be destroyed.   

In the event of the dissolution of parliament (when a General Election is called), you will be contacted and provided with 14 days to request any specific information or details from your case file. If you do not respond, and Tommy Sheppard is not returned as your Member of Parliament following the election, your information will be deleted. 

3.4 Your rights as a data subject

At any point while we are in possession of or processing your personal data, you, the data subject, have the following rights:

  • Right of access – you have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you.
  • Right of rectification – you have a right to correct data that we hold about you that is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Right to be forgotten – in certain circumstances you can ask for the data we hold about you to be erased from our records.
  • Right to restriction of processing – where certain conditions apply to have a right to restrict the processing.
  • Right of portability – you have the right to have the data we hold about you transferred to another organisation.
  • Right to object – you have the right to object to certain types of processing such as direct marketing.
  • Right to object to automated processing, including profiling – you also have the right to be subject to the legal effects of automated processing or profiling.
  • Right to judicial review: in the event that Tommy Sheppard MP’s office refuses your request under rights of access, we will provide you with a reason as to why. You have the right to complain as outlined in clause 3.5 below.

All of the above requests will be forwarded on should there be a third party involved in the processing of your personal data. You can access our Subject Access Request policy and form by contacting our office.

3.5 Complaints

In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how your personal data is being processed by Tommy Sheppard MP, or how your complaint has been handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the supervisory authority and with Tommy Sheppard.

The details for each of these contacts are:

Supervisory authority contact detailsGDPR Owner contact details
Contact Name:Information Commissioner’s OfficeTommy Sheppard
Address line 1:Wycliffe HouseOffice of Tommy Sheppard MP
Address line 2:Water Lane94 Portobello High Street
Address line 3:WilmslowEdinburgh
Address line 4:SK9 5AFEH15 1AN
Website:ico.org.ukwww.tommysheppardmp.scot
Email:ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/tommy.sheppard.mp@parliament.uk
Telephone:01625 545 7450131 661 8023

4.0 Privacy Statement

Personal data

Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) personal data is defined as:

“any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person”.

How we use your information

This privacy statement tells you how we, Tommy Sheppard MP’s office, will collect and use your personal data for undertaking the legitimate work of an MP.

Why does Tommy Sheppard MP’s office need to collect and store personal data?

In order for us to provide you with support and/or keep you up to date on the work of Tommy Sheppard we need to collect personal data to correspond with you and provide a detailed service. In any event, we are committed to ensuring that the information we collect and use is appropriate for this purpose, and does not constitute an invasion of your privacy. In terms of being contacted with updates on the work of your MP, we would only do this with additional, specific consent.

Will Tommy Sheppard MP’s office share my personal data with anyone else?

We may pass your personal data on to third-party service providers contracted to Tommy Sheppard MP’s Office in the course of dealing with you, such as the providers of software, email facilities and online data storage. We may also pass your personal data on to local authorities, government agencies, public bodies, health trusts, regulators, and so on. Any third parties that we may share your data with are obliged to keep your details securely, under GDPR, and to use them only to undertake the service they provide you on our behalf. When they no longer need your data to fulfil this service, they will dispose of the details in line with their procedures.

How will Tommy Sheppard MP’s office use the personal data it collects about me?

Tommy Sheppard MP’s office will process (collect, store and use) the information you provide in a manner compatible with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We will endeavour to keep your information accurate and up to date, and not keep it for longer than is necessary.

Under what circumstances will Tommy Sheppard MP’s office contact me?

Our aim is not to be intrusive, and we undertake not to ask irrelevant or unnecessary questions. Moreover, the information you provide will be subject to rigorous measures and procedures to minimise the risk of unauthorised access or disclosure.

Can I find out the personal data that Tommy Sheppard MP’s office holds about me?

At your request, Tommy Sheppard MP’s office can confirm what information we hold about you and how it is processed. If we do hold personal data about you, you can request the following information:

  • Our identity and the contact details.
  • Contact details of the data protection officer/lead.
  • The purpose of the processing as well as the legal basis for processing.
  • If the processing is based on the legitimate interests of Tommy Sheppard MP or a third party, information about those interests.
  • The categories of personal data collected, stored and processed.
  • Recipient(s) or categories of recipients that the data is/will be disclosed to.
  • If we intend to transfer the personal data to a third country or international organisation, information about how we ensure this is done securely. The EU has approved sending personal data to some countries because they meet a minimum standard of data protection. In other cases, we will ensure there are specific measures in place to secure your information.
  • How long the data will be stored.
  • Details of your rights to correct, erase, restrict or object to such processing.
  • Information about your right to withdraw consent at any time.
  • How to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority.
  • Whether the provision of personal data is a statutory or contractual requirement, or a requirement necessary to enter into a contract, as well as whether you are obliged to provide the personal data and the possible consequences of failing to provide such data.
  • The source of personal data if it wasn’t collected directly from you.
  • Any details and information of automated decision making, such as profiling, and any meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and expected consequences of such processing.

What forms of ID will I need to provide in order to access this?

Tommy Sheppard MP’s office usually accepts the following forms of ID when information on your personal data is requested: Passport, driving licence, birth certificate, utility bill (from last 3 months) etc. Full details are available in our Subject Access Policy.

Contact details of the Data Protection Lead:
Contact Name:Tommy Sheppard
Address line 1:Office of Tommy Sheppard MP
Address line 2:94 Portobello High Street
Address line 3:Edinburgh
Address line 4:EH15 1AN
Email:tommy.sheppard.mp@parliament.uk
Telephone:0131 661 8023