Notice

Causes of death among UK armed forces personnel

Updated 21 December 2021

This privacy notice applies to data held in relation to ongoing routine work by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on all deaths occurring among in-service UK armed forces personnel.

1. The identity and contact details of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Data Controller and Data Protection Officer

The Ministry of Defence is the data controller and can be contacted at:

MOD Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB

The Data Protection Officer is Mr. Ian Henderson and he can be contacted at:

MOD Data Protection Officer
Ground floor, zone D
Main Building
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2HB

Email address: [email protected]

2. Personal data collection and processing

The following is to explain your rights and to give you information you are entitled to under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please note this refers to information relating to the individual who has died in service, including information contained within the death certificate.

These data are being held as part of ongoing routine MOD work to understand the causes of death of military personnel. Data will be used to monitor causes of death, including rates of suicide, among in-service UK armed forces personnel.

In line with the Data Protection Act 2018, Part 3, Chapter 2, Section 37, the third data protection principle, we have limited the data we receive and process to only what is necessary for the purpose of this work.

For deceased individuals, MOD receive the death certification, including cause of death and place of birth, to enable MOD to accurately identify all causes of in-service deaths and maintain accurate records. This data is no longer received from NHS Digital or being processed by MOD but is being held as part of the long-term time series.

3. Our legal basis for processing your personal data

The Data Protection Act 2018 Part 2, Chapter 2, Section 8 states that, as a government department, the MOD may process personal data as necessary for the effective performance of a task carried out in the exercise of its function (under Article 6(1)e of the GDPR).

The Data Protection Act 2018 also says that for the purpose of research and statistics the MOD may process special categories of personal data (DPA 2018 Part 2, Chapter 2, Section 10(e), under Article 9(1) of the GDPR).

4. With whom we will be sharing your personal data

The data will only be shared with third parties where they have agreed to treat the information confidentially and to keep it secure, in a contractual arrangement.

5. For how long we will keep the personal data, or criteria used to determine the retention period

The data will be retained in line with MOD policy on retention data. After the retention period has elapsed, all data will be destroyed securely in line with MOD data destruction policy.

6. Your rights

Under Data Protection legislation you have the following individual rights with regards to your personal data:

• The right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data
• The right of access to your personal data and supplementary information
• The right to have inaccurate personal data rectified, or completed if it is incomplete
• The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances
• The right to object to processing in certain circumstances
• The right to withdraw consent
• Right to complain to the information Commissioner

Further information can be found on the ICO website

7. Transfer of personal data to other countries

This data will not be sent overseas.

8. Automated decision making

This data will not be used for any automated decision making.

9. How we store personal data

This data will be stored in a secure government Information Technology system. Appropriate security measures are in place to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, access is limited to specific MOD personnel on a business need to know basis.

Procedures are also in place to deal with any suspected security breach and will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.

Third parties will only process your personal information on our instructions and where they have agreed to treat the information confidentially and to keep it secure, in a contractual arrangement.

10. How to complain if you are not happy

If you are unhappy with how any aspect of this privacy notice, or how your personal information is being processed, please contact:

MOD Information Rights Team
Ground floor, zone D
Main Building
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB

Email: [email protected]

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and send you a full response within 20 working days. If we can’t respond fully in this time, we will write and let you know why and tell you when you should get a full response.

If you are still not happy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113

Email: [email protected]

ICO website