Data protection and freedom of information

Web Site Privacy Policy

Westminster city council will endeavour to safeguard the privacy of its website visitors. This document explains the website data processing practice.

What information do we collect?

We will collect personal details appropriate to the service you require. In some areas, this may simply mean registering your name, address and email details. Other on-line forms will require more information.

What do we use personal information for?

There are various reasons that we need to collect personal data. For example, we may need your contact details for correspondence purposes. Similarly, we may need information because of legal requirements. Subject to your agreement, we may contact you to let you know about new online services, or get your feedback on how we’re performing. In any event, we will only ever ask for information that is absolutely necessary and does not constitute an invasion of privacy.

Allowing your details to be used across other council services

We’re in the process of transforming our services in line with the Council’s One City Vision. This is part of our commitment to improve the quality of people’s experience when they contact us.

We all get frustrated on occasion when we have to repeat the same basic information over and over again. Because of this, we’re focussing on making it easy for people to do business with us, whenever and however they choose, all through a single contact, which should remember the relevant information. You can view a list of services currently using this facility.

By allowing your details to be used across other council services, you are allowing us to re-use information to minimise the time taken when you contact us in the future.

Rights

Please note that in agreeing to share these details you have not forfeited your rights as prescribed under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Council will continue to apply the same level of care to safeguard your privacy as we always have done. Your service entitlement from the Council will not be affected should you decide not to allow your data to be shared in this way. For more information about how we process personal data please see our  Fair Processing Notice.

Email Messages

We are keen to ensure that we are providing our citizens with services that they need. Consequently, you may receive occasional e-mail messages from Westminster City Council on matters that we consider may be of interest to you, if you have provided your email address to us for this purpose.

Information to improve our site

We collect web statistics automatically about your visit to our site based on your IP address. This information is used to help us track what people are doing on the site so that we can improve it. We don’t use this information to identify you as an individual and you will remain anonymous, unless you’re asked to identify yourself by completing a form or an online transaction.

Cookies

If you complete our online registration process, or subsequently login to the site, we will use cookies to remember your preferences during your current visit, and any future visits provided the cookie was not deleted in the interim. Cookies can be deleted at the end of each visit by logging out of the site. Your browser help text will contain information about how to refuse cookies from our site should you wish. Refusing cookies from our site will not affect your ability to perform online transactions, although we will not be able to display content that is relevant to you on certain pages, nor pre-fill forms with your name and contact details where relevant.

MyWestminster - When logging in to the MyWestminster portal, selecting the option ‘Remember Me’ will generate five cookies to pre-fill different forms within our website. Each of these cookies will contain one of the following attributes: your first name, post code, email address and a customer identifier. The first three will remain active for 90 days, whilst the cookie containing the customer identifier will be cleared at the end of each session. If the option ‘Remember Me’ is deselected these cookies will not contain any personal identifiers.

Access to Information – Data Protection and You

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you can make a formal request for the following information 

• clarification that your personal data is being processed by the Council
• a description and copy of such personal data
• the reasons why such data is being processed
• details of to whom they are or may be disclosed

Please download and complete the Subject Access Request Pack in either MS Word or Portable Document Format, and return it to the address below.

You may view the Council's Data Protection Notification (registration number: Z5674504) by visiting the Data Information Commissioner's Web site.

Contact

If you have any comments or concerns regarding this policy please contact the Data Protection/FOI Team online or in writing at the following address:-

Data Protection Officer
Information Services
18th Floor
Westminster City Council
City Hall
64 Victoria St
London
SW1E 6QP