Privacy policy.

Data and Privacy Policy

As the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lowestoft, Beccles, and the surrounding villages, my office and I need to communicate with constituents about my work, handle casework, and engage with you on local and national issues. This page explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data, how we comply with data protection laws, and what your rights are about your personal data. As the data controller, I take your privacy seriously and will always ensure that your data is handled responsibly.

Data Collection and Use

I will only collect and use personal information for the specific purposes for which it is provided. The types of personal data I may collect include your name, contact details (such as your email address, postal address, or phone number), and any additional information you provide when contacting my office, filling out forms, completing surveys, or engaging with me on social media.

Casework

When you contact me for help with a casework issue, I will collect the personal information that you provide. This data will be used solely to assist you and may be shared with relevant government departments, local authorities, or other public bodies if necessary to resolve your issue. I will only share the minimum amount of personal information required to support your case.

Please note that casework information is kept strictly separate from campaigning or political data, and will never be used for campaigning purposes, except to log that you contacted me.

If you have concerns or questions about how your personal information is used in casework, please contact my office for clarification.

Campaigning and Communications

I may use your personal information to communicate with you about my work as your MP, my political campaigns, and opportunities for you to get involved. I have a legal entitlement to access the full electoral register for my constituency, which includes the names and addresses of all registered electors. I may use this information to contact you about my activities as your MP.

When you interact with my office through this website, by completing forms or surveys, or by signing up for communications, I will ask for your explicit consent to use your personal information for specific purposes. This could include:

·         Contacting you to seek your political support or to understand your voting intentions.

·         Informing you about my policies, campaigns, and events.

·         Engaging you in discussions about issues that are important to Lowestoft and surrounding areas.

·         Determining who should receive campaign materials and messages.

·         Ensuring any donations made to my campaign are lawful.

·         Estimating voter turnout or engagement in upcoming elections.

I will not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling.

Other Data Controllers

In cases where the Labour Party is the data controller (for example, if you are a member of the Labour Party or interact with the party directly), you should refer to their privacy policy here. If you engage with my office via social media platforms, the data controller for your data will be the social media platform provider (e.g., Facebook, Twitter), and you should review their privacy policy for further information on how they collect and use your data.

Retention of Personal Data

I will only keep your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. For example:

·         Casework: Personal data related to casework will only be retained for as long as necessary to resolve your request. Once your case is closed, I may retain minimal information (e.g., a record of contact) for future reference if you contact me again.

·         Campaigning and Communications: If you provided consent to receive communications from me, I will retain your data as long as I remain your MP or until you request that we stop contacting you. If you unsubscribe, your information will be removed from our contact lists.

I will regularly review data that I hold to ensure it remains necessary and relevant for the above purposes.

Your Rights

You have several rights regarding your personal data, including the right to:

·         Access: Request a copy of the personal data I hold about you (a "subject access request").

·         Correction: Ask that I update or correct any personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.

·         Erasure or Restriction: Ask that I delete or restrict how I use your personal data (in certain circumstances).

·         Data Portability: Request that your personal data be provided in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format so it can be transferred to another data controller.

You may withdraw your consent to receive communications from me at any time. If you no longer wish to receive emails, texts, or phone calls, you can opt-out by using the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting my office directly.

If you feel that I have not handled your data according to your rights, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent authority for data protection.

For any questions or to exercise your rights, please contact my office.

IP Addresses and Cookies

This website does not automatically capture personal information, other than logging your IP address and certain technical data (such as the location of your computer or network on the internet) for systems administration and troubleshooting purposes. We may use this information in the aggregate to track which pages are visited most frequently, to improve the website’s content and performance.

This website also uses cookies. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device that helps improve your browsing experience. You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of the website.

Cookies on this site do not contain personally identifiable information, other than your IP address, which is only rarely sufficient to identify you as an individual.

Links to Other Websites

This website may contain links to external websites. I am not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these websites. Please review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit through links on this website.

How to Contact Me

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or need more information on how your personal data is being handled, don't hesitate to get in touch with my office using the details below:

Email: jess.asato.mp@parliament.uk.

Phone: 01502 473230.

Post: Jess Asato MP, House of Commons, Palace of Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA.