Who is the data controller for the information we collect
This privacy notice is provided to meet the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) to explain how we process your personal data in delivering Bereavement Services.
Leeds City Council is the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018 and other regulations including the UK General Data Protection Regulation, which means it determines what your data is used for and why it is collected. The contact details of the data controller are Leeds City Council, Merrion House, 110 Merrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8BB.
The data we will collect
To deliver the burial, cremation and memorialisation service we process the following data:
- name of the applicant
- address of the applicant
- organisation representative, including position held
- contact details (including emails and phone numbers)
- financial information (for the purpose of processing payments)
How do we collect information about you
We collect information about you from you directly (for example, by asking you to complete one of our forms, by phone, through our contact centre, or face-to-face).
We may also obtain your information from other sources such as:
- your family members, carers or other persons acting on your behalf, such as funeral directors
- internal council departments
- other public authorities
- NHS Trusts and others
Why we process your data
We use your information to:
- to provide timely service to the public
- to assess your eligibility to schemes, such as the child funeral fund
All the data collected will be treated in strict confidence and in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The data provided by you will only be used for the purpose(s) specified.
Lawful basis for processing
We will process your data in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6(1). The processing shall be lawful only if and to the extent that the following applies:
- UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.
This legal basis is underpinned by acts of legislation listed below which set out functions and duties of local authorities relevant to this processing:
- Cremation (England & Wales) Regulations 2008
- Local Authorities (Amendment) Order 1986
- Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977
- The Cremation Act 1902
- The Equality Act 2010
- The Localism Act 2011
Data retention, storage and destruction
Our data retention policies and procedures are designed to help ensure that we comply with our legal obligations in relation to the retention. This means that your information will be kept in accordance with statutory and business requirements, between 3 and 100 years. After this, your information will be deleted or archived. For more information about how long we keep data, please contact the service.
Who can we share your data with
We only share your data with central government departments.
In addition, we will share your personal data:
- where such disclosure is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject;
- in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person;
- for the purposes of security and prevention of fraud and other criminal activity;
- where such disclosure is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure.
Automated decision making
Your data will not be used for any automated decision making, including profiling.
Your rights
The following rights under data protection law are available under the UK GDPR:
- the right to access – you can ask for copies of your personal data
- the right to rectification – you can ask us to rectify inaccurate personal data and to complete incomplete personal data
- the right to erasure - where you can ask us to erase your personal data
- the right to restrict processing – you can ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data
- the right to data portability (where you can ask that we transfer your personal data to another organisation or to you
- the right to object to processing (where you can object to the processing of your personal data)
- the right to complain to a supervisory authority – you can complain about our processing of your personal data
- the right to withdraw consent (to the extent that the legal basis of our processing of your personal data is consent, you can withdraw that consent
Where we process your data under the public task basis, certain rights to do not apply, such as erasure, data portability and the right to withdraw consent.
These rights are subject to certain limitations and exceptions. You can learn more about your rights through the ‘Your individual rights and how to exercise them’, and the Information Commissioner’s Office website. You may exercise any of the above rights in relation to your personal data by writing to us, using the contact details provided below.
When your data gets sent to other countries
The information you provide will not be transferred to another country outside of the UK.
Contact us
Any queries in relation to this Privacy Notice should be forwarded to:
Email: Bereavement.Services.Officers@leeds.gov.uk
Data Protection Officer
Aaron Linden
Head of Information Management and Governance - Data Protection Officer
Leeds City Council
Merrion House
110 Merrion Way
Leeds
LS2 8BB
DPO@leeds.gov.uk
The council privacy notice is available to view.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with the way in which your information has been handled you should speak with the specific service in the first instance.
Any data protection complaints about how the council has processed your personal data, will be handled in accordance with the council’s Complaints Policy. You can find out how to submit a complaint online.
If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can refer to the Information Commissioner if you consider that there has been an infringement of data protection legislation. Further details can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website
Changes to this notice
We keep our privacy notice under regular review. We will notify you of significant changes to this notice by email or other means as appropriate. This privacy notice was last updated February 2025.