ANNE Survey: Privacy notice

We understand you may have some questions about our credentials and how we deal with personal information.

Who is carrying out this study?

NatCen Social Research, St George’s, University of London, Noise Consultants Limited and the University of Pennsylvania have been asked by the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out this study. The Department for Transport is a ministerial department; they plan and invest in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move.

The lawful basis for collecting this data is the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and is necessary for the exercise of DfT’s functions as a government department. The Department for Transport is the data controller for the study. NatCen Social Research, St George’s, University of London, the Noise Consultants and the University of Pennsylvania are data processors on the study, processing the data collected so that it can be used for research, while ensuring that it will not be possible to identify any participants in the data.

What is this study about?

The survey covers a range of questions about your views on your local environment, any issues you have and how these can impact your life. There will also be some questions on your household and your health. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Do I have to take part?

Taking part is voluntary. The success of the study depends on the goodwill of those asked to take part. The more people who do take part, the more useful the results will be.

You are free to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason. Once the study results have been published, we would not be able to change the results by removing individual information. However, you can request that your personal data is deleted at any time by contacting NatCen Social Research or the Department for Transport using the details below.

What data is being collected?

Personal data (such as age, gender etc.) and special category personal data, including data on ethnicity and health, will be collected during this research. However, all responses will be anonymised for analysis, so you will not be identifiable.

If you choose to receive an incentive or agree to be contacted about future research, then we will also ask for your name and contact details. These will be stored separately from your answer to the survey questions and will be deleted when no longer required.

How we will use your information

We take great care to protect the confidentiality of the information people give us. Your identity will only be known to certain members of the NatCen research team.

We will handle your data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The study report will be anonymised - results will not be presented in a form which reveals your identity.

We would like to keep your answers to the survey questions permanently, so researchers at the Department for Transport can make use of it for many years to come. This dataset would not include any identifiable information, such as your name or address. You can request that your personal data is deleted at any time before the data has been finalised, by using the contact details provided below.

Follow-up studies?

In the survey questionnaire we will ask whether you can be contacted about the second stage of this study carried out by St George’s, University of London. If you agree to be contacted, we will pass your name and contact details to St George’s who may be in touch to tell you more about the second stage of the study. You will be free to refuse if you do not want to take part. If you want to remove your agreement at any time you can contact the Department for Transport or NatCen Social Research using the contact details below.

In the future, the Department for Transport may also want to contact you about other follow-up research. We will only invite you to take part in follow-up research if you give agreement for this during the questionnaire. The Department for Transport will carefully review all proposals from researchers/organisations to conduct follow-up research before giving approval. The Department for Transport will not pass on any of your details without your permission. The Department for Transport will not approve any requests that are for commercial use. If you are invited to take part in any future studies, you will be free to refuse if you do not want to take part. If you want to remove your agreement to be recontacted at any time you can contact the Department for Transport or NatCen Social Research using the contact details below.

How long will you keep my data?

We would like to keep anonymous information from the study permanently, so researchers can make use of it for many years to come. We will delete all names and addresses 3 years after the end of the study (the study ends in March 2023). You may choose to give us permission to keep your personal details. We’ll ask you about this separately if you choose to take part. You can request that your personal data is deleted at any time by contacting the Department for Transport or NatCen Social Research using the contact details below.

How will you keep my data safe?

NatCen, St George’s and DfT will store your data in line with ISO27001, ISO 20252 and Cyber Essentials Plus certification. Only staff working on the study will have access to your information and their access will be removed when no longer required.

Any questions?

For more information about the study you can visit natcen.ac.uk/ANNESurvey.

If you have any queries about the study, please contact NatCen on ANNESurvey@natcen.ac.uk or Freephone 0800 652 4570. You can also contact the Department for Transport via the general enquiries form: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/contact-department-for-transport/

You can contact the NatCen Data Protection Officer by email at dpo@natcen.ac.uk. To read our data protection policy, visit natcen.ac.uk/help/privacy/.

DfT’s privacy policy has more information about your rights in relation to your personal data, how to complain and how to contact the Data Protection Officer. Data Protection Officers are responsible for upholding your rights and making sure we process your information correctly.

If you have a complaint, please get in touch by contacting NatCen on ANNESurvey@natcen.ac.uk or Freephone 0800 652 4570. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 0303 123 1113, https://ico.org.uk/concerns.