Safeguarding public and animal health

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Data Handling Guarantee

Public Service Guarantee on Data Handling

The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency needs to handle personal information about you so that we can provide services for you.

Read a more detailed explanation of the guarantee.

This is how we look after that information. When we ask you for personal information, we promise:

• to make sure you know why we need it;

• to only ask for what we need, and not to collect too much or irrelevant information;

• to protect it and make sure nobody has access to it who shouldn't;

• to only share it with other organisations when the law allows;

• to make sure we don't keep it longer than necessary; and

• not to make your personal information available for commercial use without your permission.

In return, we ask you to:

• give us accurate information; and

• tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes, such as a new address.

This will help us to keep your information reliable and up to date.
You can get more details on:

• how to find out what information we hold about you and how to ask us to correct any mistakes;

• agreements we have with other organisations for sharing information;

• circumstances where we can pass on your personal information without telling you, for example, to prevent and detect crime or to produce anonomised statistics;

• our instructions to staff on how to collect, use and delete your personal information;

• how we check the information we hold is accurate and up to date; and

• how to make a complaint.

When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 1998.

If you have a query or complaint about Animal Health’s handling of your personal information, you can:

• telephone the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on 01905 763355 and ask for the Access to information Team, or

• send an email to access.2info@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk
  

For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact the Information Commissioner at: