Title: How the Department for Business and Trade Processes Personal Data for Goods Regulation Email Queries

When you send an email to the Department for Business and Trade’s Goods Regulation mailbox, the Department acts as the data controller for any personal data contained in your message. This post explains how that data is collected, used, and protected, and what rights you have under UK data protection law.

What data we collect
– Your name and contact details (for example, email address, telephone number).
– Organisation or company details, if relevant to the query.
– The content of your email, including any attachments you provide.
– Any other information you choose to share in order to help us understand and respond to your query.

Why we process this data
– To respond to your email query in a timely and accurate manner.
– To manage and track the correspondence as part of the department’s public task and official functions.
– To maintain records required for transparency, accountability, and compliance with statutory obligations.
– To improve our services and responses to similar inquiries in the future, where appropriate and lawful.

Legal basis for processing
– The processing is typically based on the department’s public task under UK GDPR (Article 6(1)(e)).
– In some cases, other lawful bases may apply (for example, where necessary for handling the query efficiently or for internal administrative purposes). Special categories of data are not routinely collected in standard queries; if such data is provided by you, it will be handled with additional safeguards in line with the law.

How we process the data
– The information you provide is used to craft a direct reply to your query. This may involve the case management systems or email platforms used by the department.
– Access to your data is restricted to authorised DBT staff and, where necessary, authorised contractors (for example, IT support or translation services) who are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations.
– We may need to coordinate with other parts of the government to provide an accurate response, in which case your data may be shared with those units on a need-to-know basis and under appropriate data protection agreements.

Where data is stored and transfers
– Data is stored within UK-based systems and facilities in accordance with the department’s information security policies.
– If transfers to other jurisdictions occur (for example, with contractors or partner organisations), they are conducted only in compliance with UK data protection law and with safeguards such as data processing agreements or other approved transfer mechanisms. Where possible, processing occurs within the UK.

Data retention
– Personal data is retained in line with the department’s retention schedules and privacy notices. Records are kept for as long as necessary to respond to the query, support accountability, and comply with legal obligations, after which they are securely deleted or anonymised.

Your rights
– Access: You can request a copy of the personal data the department holds about you.
– Rectification: If any information is incorrect or incomplete, you can request correction.
– Erasure: In some circumstances, you can request deletion of your data, subject to legal and administrative requirements.
– Restriction: You may request that processing of your data be restricted in certain circumstances.
– Portability: You can request a structured copy of your data where applicable.
– Objection: You can object to processing in certain contexts, such as for direct communications, where lawful bases allow.
– Automated decision-making: If any decisions about you are made solely by automated means, you have rights to request human review.

How to exercise your rights and obtain more information
– For more details about how the Goods Regulation mailbox handles personal data, or to exercise your data rights, please refer to the Department for Business and Trade’s privacy notice. The privacy notice explains the specific data controller details, the purposes of processing, lawful bases, security measures, retention periods, and how to contact the Data Protection Officer.
– If you have questions about your data or requests to exercise rights, contact the privacy team using the channels provided in the privacy notice.

Security measures
– We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. This includes access controls, encryption where appropriate, regular staff training on data protection, and robust incident response procedures.

Keeping you informed
– Our privacy notices are updated as needed. If there are material changes to how we process personal data for Goods Regulation queries, we will provide notice and update the privacy notice accordingly.

A note on limits and context
– This post provides a general overview of how personal data is processed when you email the Goods Regulation mailbox. It is not a substitute for the department’s official privacy notice or for legal advice. If you require specific information about your own data, please consult the privacy notice or contact the Data Protection Officer via the channels listed there.

In short
– The Department for Business and Trade acts as the data controller for personal data collected in relation to Goods Regulation email queries. We collect only the information needed to respond, protect your rights, and meet legal obligations, while implementing strong security and retention practices. If you have questions or wish to exercise your rights, the privacy notice provides the appropriate contact points.

January 31, 2026 at 09:30AM
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