Privacy Policy

This page explains how any information you give us will be used and the ways in which we protect your privacy.

What information do we collect?

We collect the following types of information from visitors to the site:

• registration information for forums and subscription features;
• general feedback and queries; and
• site usage information (from session cookies, javascript and log files).

In addition, we may collect the following types of information from registered users of the site:

• feedback through discussions; and
• information relating to job applications;

The Data Protection Act 1998

Any personal information we collect from you will be handled under the terms of the Data Protection Act. We will not pass on your personal details to any third party or government department unless you give us permission to do so. We use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard your data, and keep strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it.

Registration information

Users will need to register to:

• benefit from the subscription features on the National Assembly for Wales website
• submit a job application on-line.
• Participate in the discussion forums (although the content of the forums are accessible to all visitors).

You will need to provide us with your full name, e-mail address, screen name and a 4-12 character password on the registration form. Upon completion and submission of the registration form, you will receive an activation email. Follow the instructions on this e-mail to activate your account.

In order to activate your account, you will need to accept our terms and conditions. Once this has been done, you will be able to use all the features of the site, such as logging in to the forum area and contributing by posting comments.

We do not use the information you provide to trace your identity, and do not pass it on to any third party or government department.

General Feedback and Queries

We welcome your feedback. If you contact us asking for information, we may need to contact others to find that information. If your query does not fall under the remit of the National Assembly for Wales, we will inform you and may pass your query on to the relevant organisation that can deal with it. If your question is technical, we may need to pass it to our technology suppliers.We will not pass on any of your personal information when dealing with your enquiry, unless you have given us permission to do so. Once we have replied to you, we keep a record of your message for audit purposes.

Site usage information

Cookies

Cookies are pieces of data that are often created when you visit a website and are stored in the cookie directory of your own computer.

Cookies are used to store a session ID which allows you to log-into the website and make use of features such as forums and e-petitions. We also use cookies to collect website usage statistics which help us continually improve the website. They do not contain any personal information about you.

Javascript

In order to find out how users are engaging with our website, we are currently trialling the use of Tynt Tracer. This software uses Javascript to record what information users are copy and pasting from our website. We will use this information to continually improve the content we provide on the website.

Log files

Log files allow us to record visitors’ use of the site. Log files do not contain any personal information or information about which other sites you have visited.

E-forum - Discussions

All comments are read and moderated and may be deleted if they break our terms of use. When you send comments to the discussions, these can be read by anyone visiting the page after moderation. Your registered user name appears next to your comments.

Applying for a job - Data Protection and Privacy

Under the Data Protection Act, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. The information we compile and process relating to your job application will be treated in accordance with, and subject to, the provisions of statute and regulations currently in force e.g. Data Protection Act 1998, and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We will use only use the information you provide for the purposes of processing your application, and where this is successful as part of your employment, and within the National Assembly for Wales, only allow access to those whom it is necessary for those purposes.

The information may be the subject of a request by a member of the public. When responding to such requests we may be required to release information. However, our response to such requests will be in accordance with the guidelines provided by the National Assembly for Wales Code of Practice on Public Access to Information.

Email subscriptions

Some areas of this website offer email updates. To receive these email updates, you need to register, giving: your email address; a user name; and password. We do not share the information you provide with any third parties and we protect it in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

What happens when I link to another site?

Other websites linked from this site are not covered by this privacy policy.

The National Assembly for Wales website contains links to other websites, both those of government departments and of other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to the National Assembly for Wales website, so you should always be aware when you are moving to another site and read the privacy statement of any site which collects personal information. We do not pass on any personal information you have given us to any other site.

Access to your information and contacting us

You can change your personal details submitted during registration at any time by registering, clicking on the ‘my details’ link at the top right hand corner of the site, and click on the ‘update my details’ link on the ‘your personal details’ page. You may also ask us to remove your details at any time. Simply contact us using the general query form.

If you wish to see our records of any correspondence you have sent to us, if you have a query or complaint about this privacy policy or about the site, or if you would like us to remove your details, please contact us using the general query form.

Changes to this privacy policy

If this privacy policy changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Visit this page regularly to ensure that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we will share it with other parties.

Updated on 8 September 2009.