We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy online. This notice provides details of what information we collect from you via our website, what we do with it, and who it might be shared with.

Please read the terms and conditions for use of the website, and how we use cookies.

Identity and contact details of the controller and the data protection officer

Falkirk Council is the data controller. You can contact the data protection officer at:

Data Protection Officer
The Foundry
4 Central Boulevard, Central Park
Larbert
FK5 4RS

Frequently asked questions

  1. Table of contents

Why do we collect this information?

The information is being collected for the following purpose:

  1. To enable to respond to your question or comment.
  2. To enable us to provide you with a service.
  3. To provide statistics on use of the website and evaluate its use.

The legal basis each purpose is set out below:

Legal basis Purpose
Consent  
Performance of a contract  
Legal obligation  
Vital interests  
Task carried out in the public interest 1,2,3
Legitimate interests  

The Council provides a wide-range of statutory public services to its citizens. Some of these can be applied for and/or accessed online, and we look to continually improve on the delivery of services in this way. Each service area has a specific privacy notice in place which details the statutory basis for delivery of the service.


What information do we collect about you?

For an online enquiry, we collect your name, address, telephone contact number and email address. Complaints can be submitted without providing these details but we will not be able to respond to you unless you provide a way of contacting you.

If you set up a My Falkirk account, you will be able to take advantage of the additional features that registered users can access. You will first need to register with the Improvement Service for an account (MyAccount). MyAccount is a simple, secure way to access a range of Scottish public services online using just one username and password.

In order to support the better delivery of services online, the website logs your IP address (which identifies your computer) and information about your session, such as the duration of your visit and type of browser used (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Google Chrome). This is logged both on our internet servers and on our SiteImprove platform. This information is used only for system administration and to provide statistics which we use to evaluate use of the site. The site does not automatically capture or store any other personal information.


Where do we collect information from?

We collect information directly from you.

We may also collect information from the MyAccount service. When you sign up for a My Falkirk account, you authorise the sharing of the following personal information from the MyAccount service to Falkirk Council:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Date of birth
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Address (where you live)

Who might we share your information with?

Information submitted via the website will be shared with the Council department best able to deal with your question, comment, or request for a service. We do not share your information with anyone else, unless we are required to do so by law.

The Council has a duty to protect public funds. We may check your information within the Council for verification purposes and/or for the prevention of fraud. We may share your information with other organisations where we are required to do so for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime.


Will we send your information outwith the UK? (transfers to other countries)

We do not transfer your information outwith the UK.


How long do we keep hold of your information?

We are currently working to set retention periods for information collected via our web site.


What are my rights in relation to the information held about me?

You have the following rights:

  • To see any information held about you by making a subject access request.
  • To withdraw consent at any time, where the legal basis for processing is consent.
  • To data portability, where the legal basis for processing is (i) consent or (ii) performance of a contract.
  • To request rectification or erasure of your information, where data protection legislation allows this.

Do I have a right to complain about the way information has been used?

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, please let us know and we will try to resolve this. If you are still concerned, you can contact the Information Commissioner:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
or if you prefer to use a national rate number:

Do I have to provide my personal data to you?

You do not have to provide information to us via the website. You can choose to contact us in other ways.


Do you use any automated processes to make decisions about me?

We do not use automated decision making processes.

Please note:

  • This privacy notice only covers the Falkirk Council website. Links within this site to other websites are not covered by this privacy notice. You should check the terms of the privacy notice/policy of those other sites.
  • If you use the online payment facilities offered on the website, the details you provide will be stored on a secure server operated by our online banking partner. We do not have access to these details. The banking partner will only inform us about the identity of the person making payment and the nature of the payment.
  • We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 13 via our website. If you are age 12 or under, please do not provide us with information about you or others. Please seek the guidance of your parent or guardian before submitting information via our website.

This notice was last updated in May 2018.