Consultation on Geothermal Regulation

Privacy Notice

Data Controller Name:     Department for the Economy

Address:                          Adelaide House

39-49 Adelaide Street Belfast,

BT2 8FD

Telephone:                       028 90529372

Email:                               TBC

Why are you processing my personal information?

We process personal data you provide in your consultation response to help us develop and improve policy, guidance and other regulatory work relating to the subject area of the consultation (in this case, proposals for a geothermal regulatory system).

We may also use your contact details to:

• Acknowledge receipt of your response (where requested);
• Contact you to clarify points you have raised (where necessary); and / or
• Provide you with updates about the consultation outcome (if you ask us to).

We process your personal data because it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority (public task). This includes running public consultations and gathering views to inform the development of effective public policy.

What categories of personal data are you processing?

We process personal data such as name; contact details (for example, email address); organisation; your views / opinions and any information you choose to include in your consultation response.

Please avoid including personal data about other people in your response unless it is necessary. If you do include other people’s personal data, you should consider whether you have their permission to share it.

Where do you get my personal data from?

We collect your personal data directly from you when you submit a response to the public consultation on proposals for a geothermal regulatory system. 

Do you share my personal data with anyone else?

Publication:

• Where individuals submit responses, we may publish those responses anonymously, for example with names and contact details removed).
• Where organisations (or representatives of organisations) submit responses, we may publish the response in full and attribute it to the organisation.  

Other Sharing: We do not intend to share your personal data with third parties outside the Department, unless we are required or permitted to do so by law. Any request to share your personal data will be handled in accordance with data protection legislation.

Do you transfer my personal data to other countries?

No.

How long do you keep my personal data?

We keep consultation response (including any personal data within them) for five years in line with the Department’s approved retention and disposal schedule. This helps us evidence how consultation feedback informed our work and respond to enquiries. We will then securely dispose of the information in accordance with our disposal procedures.

Do you use my personal data to make an automated decision about me or for profiling?

No

What rights do I have?

Depending on the circumstances, you have the right to:

• obtain confirmation that your data is being processed and access to your personal data.
• have personal data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete. 
• ‘block’ or suppress processing in specific circumstances.
• object to the processing in specific circumstances.

To exercise your rights, please email DPO@economy-ni.gov.uk.

How do I complain if I am not happy?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of this privacy notice, or how your personal information is being processed, please contact the Department’s Data Protection Officer at DPO@economy-ni.gov.uk

If you are still not happy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Contact details of the ICO are available at https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/