Some of the language used in privacy notices can be specialised. The Information Commissioner's website provides a useful introduction to key terms and concepts.
We process any personal information in order to collect and retain contact details, so we are able to identify research expertise and evidence to support the work of Scottish Parliament committees. The processing will supplement research and analysis undertaken by SPICe for committees. The information will be used to:
We may process special category personal data if you choose to provide any as part of the voluntary diversity monitoring questions. This data is used to enable us to understand more about the diversity of those engaged with the Scottish Parliament and support our commitment to increase the diversity of those engaged to improve parliamentary scrutiny.
The application form will request the following “normal category” information:
The application form will also ask whether the individual has engaged with the Scottish Parliament previously.
The form will also request details of academic expertise linked to the subject matter of the Area of Research Interest.
Applicants will be asked to complete an optional diversity monitoring form which will request special category personal data. It will not be mandatory to provide this information as part of your completion of an Areas of Research Interest form.
Personal information is provided to us by individuals (“data subjects”) by email or via an online form. The form includes voluntary completion of a diversity monitoring survey. Information is provided by people who wish to contribute to an Area of Interest subject expertise request.
Data protection law states that we must have a legal basis for handling your personal data. The legal basis for the processing of normal category personal data is that it is for a task carried out in the public interest in terms of Article 6(1)(e) and of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and section 8(d) of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). For special category data, the processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest. The substantial public interest is compliance with statutory equality requirements in terms of Article 9(2)(g) UK GDPR and section 10(3) and paragraph 6(1)(b) Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the DPA and s149 of the Equality Act 2010.
If this personal data was not collected, Parliament staff would not be able to engage with experts or to include their details on any register of experts linked to the subject area of the Area of Research Interest. Without this personal information on protected characteristics we would be not have the information we need to ensure diverse representation of those providing expertise to the Scottish Parliament. The information helps us to advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.
Personal information may be shared internally with other departments within the Scottish Parliament. In particular this information may be shared with those involved in supporting committee work to provide them with an understanding of academic expertise that may be available for committees to draw on as part of their scrutiny work.
Responses to an Area of Research Interest request received by SPICe, including associated personal data, will be held for a period of time no longer than the duration of the current parliamentary session (April 2026) to facilitate future engagement. Following this, the contact details collected and held will be securely deleted by the Scottish Parliament.
Data protection law sets out the rights which individuals have in relation to personal data held about them by data controllers. Applicable rights are listed below, although whether you will be able to exercise data subject rights in a particular case may depend on the purpose for which the data controller is processing the data and the legal basis upon which the processing takes place.
For example, the rights allowing for deletion or erasure of personal data and data portability do not apply in cases where personal data is processed for the purpose of a task in the public interest.
The following rights may apply:
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information about you that we hold.
Further information on how to make a data protection "subject access request"
We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date and you may ask us to correct any personal information about you that you believe does not meet these standards.
Where we use your personal information to perform tasks carried out in the public interest then, if you ask us to, we will stop using that personal information unless there are overriding legitimate grounds to continue.
In some cases, you may ask us to restrict how we use your personal information. This right might apply, for example, where we are checking the accuracy of personal information about you that we hold or assessing the validity of any objection you have made to our use of your information. The right might also apply where there is no longer a basis for using your personal information, but you do not want us to delete the data. Where this right is validly exercised, we may only use the relevant personal information with your consent, for legal claims or where there are other public interest grounds to do so.
Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the contact information and further advice sections below if you wish to exercise any of these rights.
Where we use your personal information with your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time and we will stop using your personal information for the purposes for which consent was given.
Please contact us in any of the ways set out below if you wish to exercise any of these rights.
In line with the principles underlying the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2014), published by the Scottish Government, our staff may report a concern to the relevant authorities if they come across an issue in the course of their work which causes them to think that a child may be at risk of abuse or harm.
We keep this privacy statement under regular review and will place any updates on this website. Paper copies of the privacy statement may also be obtained using the contact information below.
This privacy statement was last updated on 10 June 2024.
If you have any further questions about the way in which we process personal data, or about how to exercise your rights, please contact the Head of Information Governance at:
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Telephone: 0131 348 5281
(Calls are welcome through the Text Relay service or in British Sign Language through contactSCOTLAND-BSL.)
Email: dataprotection@parliament.scot
Please contact us if you require information in another language or format
We seek to resolve directly all complaints about how we handle personal information but
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.
Or by phone at: 0303 123 1113