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Customer Correspondence Management System Privacy Notice

1. About Customer correspondence

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) provides this service to receive and manage correspondence using Microsoft Dynamics. DVSA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT).

We carry out driving tests and theory tests on Great Britain, approve people to be driving instructors and MOT testers, carry out tests to make sure lorries and buses are safe to drive, carry out roadside checks on drivers and vehicles, and monitor vehicle recalls. This service lets you contact us to make a complaint or enquiry about our services. You can make requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. You can also report concerns about unsafe commercial drivers or vehicles or a smoky vehicle to us.

The data controller for DVSA is DfT – a data controller determines the reasons and how personal data is processed. For more information, see the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Data Protection Public Register. DfT’s registration number is Z7122992.

2. What data we need

The personal data we collect from you will include:

  • full name
  • address, telephone number and email address
  • date of birth (if required)
  • driving licence number
  • theory test certificate or booking reference number
  • personal reference number (if you’re a driving instructor)
  • vehicle registration number (where appropriate)
  • Business address and business identity number
  • any proof of identity needed to progress your complaint/request
  • the language you’ve asked us to respond in (English and Welsh)
  • the type of test you have booked or taken if contacting us about your test
  • any personal data you provide such as your photos, videos, opinions
  • any special category data you provide us
  • nature of your correspondence

The lawful basis for processing this data is Public Task:

There might be occasions where we share personal data within our organisation or other bodies where we are permitted to do so by law. For example we will share intelligence data with our Intelligence Unit. This is so they can carry out activities to undertake enforcement action which are supported, where applicable, by appropriate statutory powers.

Our statutory powers are contained within, but not restricted to:

  • Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
  • Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996
  • Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
  • Fraud Act 2006
  • Road Traffic Act 1988, including sections 66A, 99 123
  • Regulations EC 1071/2009, EC 1072/2009 and EC 1073/2009
  • The Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 199
  • The Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981
  • Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 2020 [as amended]
  • The Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2005
  • The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 [as amended].

3. Why we need it

We need the personal data we collect from you to:

  • look into the issue you’ve raised and respond to you
  • validate your identity to ensure we are compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation
  • escalate your complaint to the Independent Complaints Assessor or Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman

We will produce anonymised statistics for monitoring and performance purposes, as well as to provide to governance boards.

4. What we do with it

We collect, use, and store the data you give us for the reasons set out in this policy.

We will not:

  • sell or rent your data to third parties
  • share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

We will share your data if required to do so by law – for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

We may use your personal data to notify the appropriate enforcement and regulatory bodies. For example, Police, DVLA, DVA, Highways England). We may also share your data with the appropriate persons should you mention suicide or self-harm.

When looking into an issue you have raised about your theory test, we may share your data with Pearson VUE and Reed In Partnership.

Should you ask us to escalate your case, we may share your data with the Information Commissioners Office, Independent Complaints Assessor, and the Ombudsman.

Pearson VUE and Reed In Partnership act as our data processor to administer and carry out theory tests. They are authorised by us to collect and process personal data on our behalf.

Our contracts with Pearson VUE and Reed In Partnership say they must make sure any of their subcontractors meet the same data protection requirements and standards

5. How long we keep your data

We’ll keep your personal data only for as long as we need it for the reasons set out in this policy or for as long as is required by law.

We will hold your personal data for:

Your data will not be stored on the customer contact website portal

6. Where it might go

We hold all data you send to us on DVSA servers based in the UK or hosted within cloud services based in the European Economic Area and as such meets security safeguards equivalent to those required by Data Protection Legislation.

Our IT infrastructure and technology has been checked to make sure it’s safe and secure.

Pearson VUE and Reed In Partnership are allowed to collect and process personal information within the UK.

7. Protecting your data and your rights

The DVSA personal information charter sets out what steps are taken to protect your data, and the rights you have over your data.

8. Automated decision making and profiling

Your data is not subject to automated decision making or profiling as defined in data protection legislation.

9. Changes to this privacy notice

We may change this privacy notice at our discretion at any time.

When we change this notice, the date on the page will be updated. Any changes to this privacy notice will be applied to you and your data as of the revision date.

We encourage you to periodically review this privacy notice to be informed about how your data is protected.

10. How to contact us

If you have any questions about anything in this document or if you think we have misused or mishandled your personal data, you can contact the DVSA data protection manager:

  • Data Protection Manager
  • DVSA
  • 1 Unity Square
  • Nottingham
  • NG2 1AY

Email information.handling@dvsa.gov.uk

Contact DVSA customer services if you have a query that is not about how your personal data is used.

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.