How We Handle Your Information

The EU Common Provisions Regulations (CPR), in particular Articles 27.4, 54, 56 of the CPR, and Article 6 of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) regulation require the Department for Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), as the managing authority for the programme, to monitor and evaluate ERDF-funded activities. In order to conduct monitoring and evaluation, individual participant data is required.

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, MHCLG is the data controller in respect of information processed which relates to your participation in the project funded by the European Regional Development Fund, while North Tyneside Council is the data processor. Depending on the nature of activities of the ERDF-funded project and the indicators listed under each activity, the following information for each direct or indirect beneficiary where these are individuals may be supplied:

• i. Name of contact point within a business (in some cases property owner) engaged with or individual engaged with
• ii. Address
• iii. Postcode
• iv. Phone number
• v. Email address
• vi. Labour market status prior to receiving support and 6 months after receiving support
• vii. Duration of support
• viii. Intensity of support

Your details will be stored securely and retained in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018. This information will be used to evaluate this project and to report to the European Regional Development Fund for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Your details will be used to support the ERDF programme research and evaluation activities. MHCLG will need to share all or some of your data with the national evaluator of the ERDF programme. In some cases, the national evaluator, i.e. independent external contractors commissioned by MHCLG, may use the contact details to contact a sample of direct or indirect beneficiaries for the purpose of the National Evaluation of the programme. It is likely that the survey methodology will need to incorporate a variety of approaches in order to maximise the survey response rate (for example, telephone survey, written survey, and e-mail survey) – hence the need for a variety of contact details required for each participant. MHCLG may also need to share with other government departments and the European Commission where this is necessary to test the robustness of the data gathered or to inform the National Evaluation.

MHCLG will not give any personal data to any other organisation unless needed for the purpose of the evaluation and will instruct them not to use it to contact individuals for any reasons not connected with the purpose of the National Evaluation of the ERDF programme 2014-2020 or other matters directly relating to the evaluation. If MHCLG has to pass on the data, it will only provide what is needed, and if possible will remove the details that might identify individuals personally.

MHCLG will not keep your personal data for longer than it needs but as a minimum, will retain data for two years after the closure of the 2014-2020 ERDF programme.

The data collected is your personal data, and you have the right, subject to lawful data requirements:

• to see what data we have about you;
• to ask us to stop using your data;
• to ask us to delete or correct your data;
• to lodge a complaint with the independent Information Commissioner (ICO) if you think we are not handling your data fairly or in accordance with the law. You can contact the ICO at https://ico.org.uk, or telephone 0303 123 1113.

For any information on the above, you can contact MHCLG’s Data Protection Officer at MHCLGkia@icasework.fcos.gsi.gov.uk or by telephone 030 3444 0000.