Privacy Policy

Any personal information that you give to me will be handled confidentially by me, the staff and volunteers in my office, in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. If you would like information about the Data Protection Act 1998, this can be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office through their website at http://www.ico.gov.uk/ or advice line on 08456 306 060.

What information do we collect about you?

My office collects personal information that is supplied to me in my role as a Member of Parliament. It includes information supplied by my constituents and others in relation to matters which I have been asked to pursue in the interests of individuals and groups I represent, such as:

• details of specific cases;
• information provided by signatories on petitions;
• responses to questionnaires; and
• contact details for the purpose of communicating news and updates.

How will we use the information about you?

If you ask me to pursue a matter on your behalf, I will use your information in order to pursue the matter you have raised with me. My staff and volunteers will normally see this information to find help and advice for you. Any personal or sensitive personal information may be passed to other agencies (such as the Department for Work and Pensions, the CSA, the local Housing Department) if I believe this to be necessary to pursue the matter you have raised with me. I intend that only the minimum possible personal information will be shared with other agencies, as necessary to further your case.

If you give me personal information about someone other than yourself, I may need to check the facts with that other person. If you ask me to take action on behalf of a friend or relative I may need to contact that person to confirm that they are happy for me to act on their behalf. If you feel it would not be appropriate for me to contact the other person, you should discuss this with me when you give me their information.

Local News, Events and Monthly E-Bulletins

I would like to send you information about constituency news and events, but I will not use your contact details to do this unless you have said that you would like to be sent this information. If you have said that you would like this information, but later change your mind, you have a right at any time to let us know if you no longer wish to be sent this information. If you wish to receive or stop receiving this information, please contact my office.

I also send out a monthly bulletin explaining what I have been doing locally. You can sign up via the link here, in which case I will retain your name and email address for the purpose of email updates, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Access to your information and correction

If you wish to see any information that I hold about you, if you want me to update or correct any personal information that I hold about you, or if you have any queries regarding personal data that I hold about you, please contact my office.

Cookies Policy

New rules regarding the use of cookies have recently been introduced. You can read more about them here. The new rules mean that a website must have the users’ consent to store cookies on their computer or device. See below details of how to opt out of the cookies. If you don't opt out, you are deemed to have consented to them.

What are Cookies?

A cookie is a piece of code that is sent to your internet browser and is stored on your system. The cookies we use cannot be used to identify you personally.

These pieces of information are used to improve services, for example, by:

• enabling a service to recognise your device so you don't have to give the same information several times during one task;
• recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don't need to do it for every web page requested;
• measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there's enough capacity; and
• analysing anonymised data to help us understand how people interact with my service so we can make it better.

To find out more information on how to manage these codes, click here. To learn how to remove cookies set on your device, click here. If you want to check that a website, including this one, complies with the new rules, click here.

Cookies on my Website or Blog

My website and blog only use a few basic cookies, including:

Google Analytics Cookies: _utma, _utmb, _utmc, _utmz. Google Analytics is software that lets us analyse how visitors use the site. We use this information to improve our website and provide the best experience for visitors. These cookies collect data in an anonymous form. Please see Google's privacy policy here for further information. To opt out of these cookies, please visit Google's website here.

ASP.net_session: This cookie allows the website to save your session state across different pages. It is a session cookie and will be destroyed when you close your browser. This cookie is essential for the site to function.

Cookies set up by Third Parties

We do not have access to data collected by third-party services and cannot prevent third-party services from setting up these cookies. Below are details of third-party services more commonly used on or via my website or blog.

YouTube: YouTube uses cookies to help maintain the integrity of video statistics, prevent fraud and to improve their site experience. If you view a video, YouTube may set cookies on your computer. You can find more information about the YouTube privacy policy, and how to opt out of their cookies, at: http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/policies/privacy/

Facebook: Facebook has cookies to allow you to log in to your Facebook profile and 'Like' our Facebook page. You can find more information about the Facebook privacy policy, and how to opt out of their cookies, at: http://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/other