Privacy Policy

1 About this privacy code

This privacy code provides an overview of how we comply with data protection legislation to protect the rights of the individuals we deal with. It sets out: 

• Who we are and what we do 
• How we collect personal information 
• What personal information we collect, and why 
• How we safeguard personal information 
• With whom we share personal information, and why 
• How we handle transfers of personal information to countries outside Europe 
• Your rights under data protection legislation 
• How to make a complaint 
• How to find out more

2 Who we are and what we do

The Northern Way is a unique collaboration between the three Northern Regional Development Agencies Yorkshire Forward, Northwest Development Agency and One NorthEast.  The management and administration of the initiative is being led by One NorthEast, through a dedicated Northern Way Secretariat, based at One NorthEast.

Our contact details are set out on the front page of our website. Our activities are particularly wide-ranging but may be summed up as follows:

To achieve the Northern Way vision we need to bridge the £30 billion productivity gap between the North and the average for England building upon and adding value to the three Regional Economic Strategies (RES) and Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) by doing those things that need to be done across the North to grow our economy faster. We will:

• Create market conditions across the North that are typical of a successful economy 
• Present investment opportunities that will attract major international developers
• Do things at the most effective level, whether it is at local or regional level or across the whole of the North 
• Influence national decision-makers to align policies and programmes with the Northern Way vision
• Project the right image and bury the begging bowl

We mainly need personal information so that we can improve our communications, ensure we keep people up to date with our progress, seek views and input at certain stages and introduce organisations and businesses to each other to support our work. You can find out more about us, and our role on our website.

3 How we collect personal information

3.1 Through web site statistics - We do keep a record of traffic data which is logged automatically by our server, such as your IP address, the URL you visited before ours, the URL you visit after leaving our site and which pages you visit. We also collect some site statistics such as page hits and page views. We are not readily able to identify any individual from traffic data or site statistics.

3.2 By you contacting us by other methods other than the website - The website provides various telephone and fax numbers and email addresses for you to contact us. We will collect information from you through any of these methods. We may also collect other information you supply to us after your initial contact with us.

4 What personal information we collect, and why

The information we collect about you will depend on the nature of your business with us but will be used in support of our objectives, as outlined above. Here is a brief description of the information we collect and how we use it.

4.1 Information you give us on your own initiative - We will use the details you give us to provide information you ask for or to put you in contact with other organisations that may be able to help, process any application you make and review and improve our services.

4.2 Business information that we set out to collect - We actively seek information from businesses from both inside and outside the North (including those outside of the UK) so that we can build up profiles of businesses and build relationships between them. We obtain this information both directly from businesses, through face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, or through our website, and indirectly from suppliers of business information.

Most of this information will relate to the business itself and will not be personal. However insofar as this information contains contact details from which individuals may be identified, or relates to sole traders or partnerships, it will usually consist of personal information that is protected by data protection legislation. The personal information we hold is very valuable, as it enables us to make personal introductions between businesses and also provides a central point of contact for us.

4.3 Direct marketing preferences - When you give us your contact details, we may ask you whether or not you would like to receive further information from us about our activities, the investment priorities and city regions. This may be our own information or that produced by our subsidiaries or by other organisations. We may send this information to you by a variety of means, including email, fax and post. If you do agree, you can change your mind at any time and ask us not to send you further information (see your rights under data protection legislation below).

We may also ask you if you would like us to pass on your details to other organisations in the local business network including the business links, enterprise agencies, Chamber of Commerce, Learning Skills Council and other similar organisations so they can inform you of business events and opportunities and offer you opportunities to develop and advance your business. If you agree but then change your mind, you will need to contact these organisations direct to ask to be removed from their lists).

4.4 Research statistics - We anonymise the information we collect and then use it to produce and publish statistics. We will always ensure the statutory safeguards for statistical research are in place. So we will never use personal information in the course of this research to support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals or in such a way that is likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to any individual. Any resulting research statistics will not be made available in a form which identifies individuals, unless those individuals have agreed to be identified.

5 How we safeguard personal information

We recognise that you retain rights in the personal information we hold about you. We will keep that information secure, and use it only for specific legitimate purposes.

5.1 We have obligations to keep personal information secure, which we take seriously - We will keep personal information secure by taking appropriate technical and staff measures against the unauthorised or unlawful processing of that information and against its accidental loss, destruction or damage.

The One NorthEast Director of Corporate Resources has overall responsibility for implementation of security procedures. We take steps to ensure the personal information we have is high quality. However we cannot do this without your help! So please ensure you give us accurate information, tell us as soon as possible of any changes, and tell us as soon as possible if you notice mistakes in the information we hold about you as this helps us to keep our information reliable and up-to-date.

We will also contact you from time to time to check whether the information we have on you is still accurate and up to date. We will keep personal information until you inform us you no longer wish us to.

Information relating to funding is kept for as long as is required by the funders.

5.2 We keep confidential information confidential - Please note that under a freedom of information code of practice, we are not permitted to class as confidential information that is not actually confidential in reality, even if it is marked confidential. However in respect of any information we receive from you that is truly confidential, we will take steps to ensure it remains confidential. Unauthorised disclosure or misuse of personal information by staff will lead to disciplinary action.

5.3 We review our policies and audit our procedures regularly - We review this code and our other data protection policies regularly to make sure they are appropriate and up to date. We also carry out regular audits to monitor our security policies and procedures and revise them if necessary.

6 With whom we share personal information, and why

Almost all our sharing of your information will be at your specific request. So most of the time, information is shared on a case-by-case basis. If we do enter into any "block" sharing of your information with other organisations, it will be strictly for the purposes specified above in who we are and what we do and done only with your consent, or as permitted by law. From 1 January 2005, we may be required to disclose information about your business in response to an access request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, unless an exemption applies.)

7 How we handle transfers of personal information to countries outside Europe

7.1 Data protection laws globally - Although we have laws within Europe that protect personal information, most other countries outside Europe do not. By Europe we mean the European Economic Area, which comprises the EU member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. European data protection legislation prohibits the transfer of personal information to any country outside Europe, unless that country provides adequate protection.

7.2 Why we need to transfer personal information - We need to transfer personal information for two main reasons. First, because part of our work is to help inward investors find business partners within the Region, so we may need to give contact details of individuals in the UK to an overseas business. Secondly, we use a network of overseas offices to support our inward investment activities, to attract new investment to the North East of England and to raise the region's profile on a global basis. Those offices are based in Europe, Asia and the United States, and you can find further details of where they are on our website. One NorthEast and/or other Regional Development Agencies ("RDAs") operate the overseas offices. We may need to pass contact details of individuals in the UK to those offices so that they can provide assistance.

7.3 How we transfer personal information overseas - Data protection legislation allows us to transfer your personal information outside Europe if you give us your unambiguous consent. By consent we mean a freely given, specific and informed indication of your wishes. So we will ask you specifically whether you would like us to pass on your details to an inward investor, or to one of our overseas offices, when we collect your information, and before we hand over your details where reasonably practicable.

8 Your rights under data protection legislation

You have various rights. You are most likely to want to exercise the following ones. Your right to see a copy of the information we hold about you, on payment of a statutory fee which is currently £10. Before we agree to this, you must provide with sufficient evidence of your identity and sufficient details of the information you wish to see to enable us to locate it. If you would like to see a copy of the information we hold about you, please click here to download, print and complete our Subject Access Request Form.

Your right to be removed from our mailing lists. Instructions on how to stop further mailings will usually be contained in any direct marketing material we send you. Otherwise please contact our Data Protection Officer.

Your right to correct any errors in information we hold about you, and to change or correct any details you have already given us. Please inform us about changes to your details so that we can keep our records accurate and up to date.
For further information, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

9 How to make a complaint

Any complaints about our handling of personal information should be addressed to Head of Legal Services, at the address on the homepage. If your complaint relates to the handling of your personal information by an organisation with which we share information, then please let us know that. We aim to respond to your complaint within 21 days of receiving it. You have a right of appeal in relation to any decision we make, which we will tell you about when we respond to your complaint. We will always review our procedures and practices in line with any justified complaints.

10 How to find out more

10.1 Data Protection Officer - If you want to know more about what information we have about you, or the way we use your information, you can contact our Data Protection Officer.

10.2 Data Protection Register - When we ask you for information, we will comply with the law, including the Data Protection Act 1998. We are a data controller for the purposes of that Act. Our entry in the register of data controllers is Z8473392. In brief, our register entry describes: 

• the personal information processed by us or on our behalf and the category or categories of individuals to which they relate 
• the purpose or purposes for which personal information is processed 
  the recipients to whom we intend to disclose personal information, and 
• any countries or territories outside the European Economic Area to which we transfer personal information.

10.3 Information Commissioner - For independent advice about freedom of information, data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact the Information Commissioner at:
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF,

Tel: 01625 545745
Fax: 01625 524510
e-mail: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
Website: http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk