Scottish Parliament committees need public engagement to inform their work. Parliament staff maintain a contact list to get in touch with people to inform them about the Committee's activities. This may involve notifying people when the committee publishes a report, launches a call for views or- , issues a committee newsletter or to make them aware of any other public engagement activities.
We will add your name and contact details to a committee contact list if you contact us and ask to be kept informed about the work of the committee. We may also add your name and contact details to the list if you give oral evidence to the committee (as a witness), so that you can be kept informed about Committee business.
The Parliament will process standard or normal category personal information in relation to its contact list. This will include your name, organisation (if applicable), email address. It may also include your phone number and your home or work address if contact has been made by mail.
Data protection law states that we must have a legal basis for handling personal data. The legal basis for collecting and holding your personal data for the Committee contact list is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest in accordance with Article 6(1)(e) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and section 8(d) of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).
The task is to facilitate continued engagement of stakeholders with the Committees which is part of the core function of the SPCB and is therefore a Crown function in accordance with section 8(d) DPA. However, you are able to unsubscribe from the contact list at any point, in which case we will (as soon as reasonably practicable) cease to process your personal data (see below, under “Retention of data‟”.)
Your data will not be shared except under a statutory obligation.
Contact details are held securely on Scottish Parliament IT systems. People have the opportunity to unsubscribe at any time by contacting the relevant Committee clerk. Contact details for the Committe contact list will then be deleted from the system and you should no longer receive updates from that Committee. People should be aware that their names and contact details may appear on multple committee lists and it would be necessary to unsubscribe from each one individually.
Data will be reviewed throughout the parliamentary session to ensure it is accurate and up to date. If there are repeated bounce backs from an email address Parliament staff will remove the contact from the list.
At the end of a parliamentary session some Committees may update their areas of responsibility. The Parliament will get in touch to notify people on the contact list if this is happening and let them know that they have the option to unsubscribe if they choose.
In line with the principles underlying the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland, our staff may report a concern to the relevant authorities if they come across an issue during their work which causes them to think that a child may be at risk of abuse or harm. For more information,
Read the updated Child Protection Guidance
Data protection legislation sets out the rights which individuals have in relation to personal data held about them by data controllers. Applicable rights are listed below. You can exercise your data subject rights in particular circumstances depending on the purpose for which the data controller is processing the data and the legal basis upon which the processing takes place.
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"
You have the right to ask us to correct the personal data we hold about you. 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.
You have the right to ask us to delete personal information about you where:
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 don't 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 using the details below if you wish to exercise any of these rights.
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 28 May 2026.
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 and Data Protection Officer at:
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
If you are concerned that we have not handled your personal information properly you can make a complaint to the Information Governance Team of the Scottish Parliament at the following address: [email protected]. We will respond to your complaint without undue delay and within one month. If, having made a complaint, you are still concerned that your personal information has not been handled properly, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office.