Council and elections

Why we need your personal information

We need your personal information for your role as an elected member with the council.

We may also need to share information with other organisations because we are under a legal obligation to do so.

What information we collect and what we use it for

We need your personal details to identify you and communicate with you, including your:

• name
• national insurance number (NI)
• contact details, including your home address, telephone numbers and email addresses.

We need your personal banking details to process all payments due to you for your tenure with the council.

Your information will also be used to check your eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.

We may need your employment history, qualifications, training certification and licenses, like a driving license, to:

• validate you are qualified for your role
• calculate any allowances or statutory payments you are entitled to in your tenure.

We may need to do Disclosure, Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) or Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) checks.

Council Tax Records

Councillors are obliged, under the Councillors' Code of Conduct, not to vote on certain matters in relation to council tax if in council tax arrears of two months or more. We will check your council tax records to ensure you are eligible to vote.

We may also check your council tax records in response to freedom of information (FOI) requests received by the council. The council is subject to FOI legislation. Often requests are received which seek disclosure of information held by the council about councillors. 

Such requests are carefully assessed, and we will only release personal information in response to FOI requests if this complies with data protection law. We are regularly asked for details of councillors with council tax arrears. Current decisions of the Scottish Information Commissioner, the FOI Regulator, mean that we may be obliged to disclose the identities of elected members who have had reminders sent or are in arrears with council tax. 

Such requests are, however, dealt with on a case-by-case basis and if there are particular personal circumstances relating to the council tax payment history then it may be possible to withhold identities on the basis of the personal data exemption. 

This is, however, subject to the ultimate decision of the Scottish Information Commissioner and no guarantee of anonymity can be given even if there are relevant personal circumstances. In the absence of such personal circumstances, we are unable to withhold identities.

Any elected member whose identity could potentially be released in relation to requests for council tax payment information will be notified of the request by the Head of Corporate Governance and their views sought on whether they object to disclosure and whether there are any personal circumstances they wish to discuss relevant to the arrears. 

However, the ultimate decision on releasing information must necessarily be taken by officers (or ultimately by the Commissioner) and information may need to be released even where the member objects.

Other data we may need to collect

During your tenure as a councillor, we may also collect data about your use of council premises, equipment, work laptops or work phones, including:

• telephone numbers you have called and the date, time, and duration of incoming and outgoing calls
• websites you have visited, including the date and times you visited the website
• emails you have sent and received, including dates, times, subject, sender and recipient
• details of media files stored on our network
• use of unencrypted USB devices
• entry and exit of automated door systems
• CCTV footage.

This information may be used in line with the council's ICT Acceptable Use Policy.

Some councillors may also use Renfrewshire Council services. We process information on service users, including service users who are members of staff, in accordance our main privacy policy

Who we share your information with

For financial and pay related purposes

We will share essential payroll information and data:

• with other public bodies such as HMRC, where the law requires this.
• to make pension benefit calculations and contributions if you are a member of the local government pension scheme.
• to make payroll deductions or salary sacrifice contributions, such as charitable giving, additional voluntary (AVC) contributions towards your pension, trade union subscriptions, credit union contributions or payments toward court orders.

For fraud prevention purposes

The council is legally obliged to safeguard public funds so details held are, from time to time, checked internally for fraud prevention and verification purposes and may be shared with other public bodies for the same purpose. 

As well as sharing certain data with other public bodies such as HMRC when the law requires this, the council will also generally comply with requests for specific information from other regulatory and law enforcement bodies where this is necessary and proportionate.

The council must participate in the National Fraud Initiative in Scotland and so, passes information on request about staff and councillors (primarily payroll data) to Audit Scotland for data matching to detect fraud or possible fraud.

For duties or requirements of your role

We need to process your personal information when you are required, as part of your duties, to attend or speak at council boards, committees, or sub-committees. If these meetings are broadcast online, the recording or images of the meeting, including the attendance or contribution of councillors, will be published on our website.

For meeting standards and codes of conduct

We may need to share your information with public bodies including the Standards Commission for Scotland for the promotion and enforcement of the councillor's codes of conduct.

Register of Interests

The council is obliged to set up and make available for public inspection a register of councillors' interests.

These interests relate to:

• remuneration
• other roles such as unremunerated directorships
• contracts
• election expenses
• houses, land, and buildings
• interest in shares and securities
• gifts and hospitality
• non-financial interests
• close family members who have transactions with the Council or are likely to do business with it.

The council will publish an online version of the Register, which can be viewed by any member of the public through the Committee Management Information System (CMIS). 

While the electronic version of the Register of Interests need not include personal address information, the council is required to make available the full version of the Register of Interests for public inspection.

For your health and safety

We may need to share information in relation to an accident at a council premises or workplace with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Legal basis for using your information:

Processing your personal information is necessary for the performance of council public functions in the public interest.

Consent

We will not ask for consent in cases where we need to process your information to carry out our public functions. If we ask for your consent to process your information for a particular purpose, you have the right to withdraw this, in whole or in part, at any time. We will explain any consequences of this to you, including any impact on the service being delivered.

Transferring your information outside the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA):

Information published on the council's website (including video footage of webcast meetings and committee reports) can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

How long we keep your data for

The council maintains a records retention and disposal schedule which sets out how long we hold different types of information for.

Your rights under data protection law

You have a right to:

• access to your information - you have the right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you.
• have your information corrected - we want to make sure that your personal information is accurate, complete, and up to date. You can ask us to correct any personal information about you that you believe is not accurate.
• have your information deleted - you have the right to ask us to delete personal information about you if:
  • you think we no longer need the information for the purposes for which it was originally intended
  • you have validly objected to our use of your personal information - see restricting how we use your information below.
  • our use of your personal information is not legal or not for our legal obligations.
• ask us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing purposes.

Restricting use of your information

You may ask us to restrict how we use your personal information.

This may apply if we need to:

• check the accuracy of personal information that we hold about you
• assess an objection you have made about the use of your information.

You may also ask to restrict the use of your personal information if we no longer have a basis for using it, but you don't want it to be deleted.

In this case, we may only use the relevant personal information with your consent for legal claims or where it is in the public interest to do so.

Corrections and complaints

You can email the Council's Data Protection Officer, Allison Black at dataprotection@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you:

• want us to correct, delete or restrict your personal data
• make a complaint about how your personal data is handled.

You can also make a complaint about data protection matters to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Full Council

Some decisions in the council must be made by the Full Council, which includes all councillors.

See Council (Full Council) meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board

This board acts as the council's audit committee on 

• corporate governance
• risk management
• monitoring and reviewing service delivery performance
• policies and practices
• community leadership, standards and ethics.

See Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Bursaries and Endowments Appeal Panel

This panel determines appeals relating to 

• higher school bursaries
• education maintenance allowances
• education endowment appeals.

See Bursaries and Endowments Appeal Panel meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Community Asset Transfer Review

This considers and determines reviews of decisions, or failures to take decisions, on Asset Transfer Requests made in terms of Part 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

See Community Asset Transfer Review meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Communities and Housing Policy Board

This board deals with 

• housing
• civil contingencies
• community learning and development
• community justice
• community councils
• community safety and public protection
• building standards
• fire and rescue
• police.

Details of the new Communities and Housing Policy Board will be on the Committee and Councillors website when it is available.

Cross Party Sounding Board

This acts as a sounding board and discussion forum with no decision-making powers. 

The board provides an opportunity to discuss matters of common interest or of council-wide relevance. 

It allows cross-party discussion on non-partisan or non-political issues raised by each political party or group on Renfrewshire Council.

See Cross Party Sounding Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Economy and Regeneration Policy Board

This board deals with

• economy
• employment
• regeneration
• strategic place.

Details of the new Economy and Regeneration Policy Board will be on the Committee and Councillors website when it is available.

Education and Children's Services Policy Board

This board deals with 

• education
• early years
• children and families' social work. 

See Education and Children's Services Policy Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Emergencies Board

This board oversees the activities of the council, including the deployment of resources, in the event of any emergency, as defined by the Chief Executive.

See Emergencies Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board

This deals with 

• corporate asset and facilities management
• civic functions
• customer and business services
• human resources and organisational development
• ICT
• risk registers
• procurement
• Renfrewshire Licensing Forum
• Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
• Scotland Excel
• trading operations
• Better Council Change Programme
• building services.

See Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board

This board deals with:

• environmental issues
• water and sewerage
• waste management
• flood prevention
• roads and transportation
• fleet and infrastructure
• sustainability
• parks and cemeteries
• Clyde Valley Waste Initiative
• Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
• Clyde Muirshiel Park Authority. 

See Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Investment Review Board

This determines the discretionary agreement and any amendments in relation to the investment of the Common Good funds.

It also reviews the performance and strategy relating to the invested funds for the Common Good funds. 

See Investment Review Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching)

This acts as a forum for consultation between the council and the trades unions representing all non-teaching employees on employment and service conditions which are not specifically determined by national negotiating bodies.

See Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Leadership Board

This board deals with 

• adult social care and health integration
• Best Value and performance management
• corporate planning and community empowerment
• corporate communications and marketing
• digital inclusion
• Future Paisley
• Glasgow City Region City Deal
• leisure and culture trust
• corporate performance management
• public service reform
• tackling inequality
• poverty and social renewal
• tourism and events
• strategic leadership and oversight.

See Leadership Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Leadership Board sub-committee

This deals with social renewal, tackling poverty, cost of living crisis.

Details of the Leadership Board sub-committee will be on the Committee and Councillors website when it is available.

Local Review Body

This body reviews planning permission appeals. 

See Local Review Body meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Non-domestic Rates Appeals

This determines appeals against the application of the council's policy relating to the discretionary relief of rates and to determine appeals under section 238 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947.

See Non Domestic Rates Appeals meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Personnel Appeals and Applied Conditions of Service Appeals Panel

This panel determines appeals relating to the council's disciplinary and grievance procedures policies and termination of service on health or capability grounds. 

It also makes recommendations to the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board when submissions are made by the trade unions about the council's personnel policies.

See Personnel Appeals and Applied Conditions of Service Appeals Panel meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Petitions Board

This board considers petitions that conform to council procedures. 

See Petitions Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Placing Requests and Exclusions Appeals Panel

This panel hears appeals relating to placing requests and exclusions.

See Placing Requests and Exclusions Appeals Panel meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Planning and Climate Change Policy Board

This deals with 

• climate change
• development management
• development planning, planning
• the strategic development plan.

Details of the new Planning and Climate Change Policy Board will be on the Committee and Councillors website when it is available.

Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee

This deals with matters relating to the police service, arrangements for local policing, matters relating to the fire and rescue service and arrangements for local fire and rescue services.

See Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Regulatory Functions Board

This determines applications and reviews the Council's policies and functions licences, permits, permissions and registrations not allocated to another Board.

See Regulatory Functions Board meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Renfrewshire Appointment Boards

This board considers 

• applications for posts
• shortlists candidates
• candidates interviews
• selection of a successful candidate.

See Renfrewshire Appointment Boards meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff

This determines conditions of service for all teaching staff, music instructors, education advisers and educational psychologists. Consults on other relevant matters.

See Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff meetings on the Committee and Councillors website

Renfrewshire Licensing Board

This board considers liquor licence applications for the Renfrewshire area.

See meetings, agendas, minutes, annual functions reports, statement of income and expenditure, and members of the Renfrewshire Licensing Board.

Outside bodies

The council appoints councillors and officers to serve on a range of outside bodies both at local and national level. 

Terminated boards

You can find the minutes and agendas for these terminated policy boards:

• Education Policy Board (now terminated)
• Sport, Leisure and Culture Policy Board (now terminated)
• Audit, Scrutiny and Petitions Board
• Economy and Jobs Policy Board
• Education and Children Policy Board
• Education Policy Board (now terminated)
• Environment Policy Board
• Finance and Resources Policy Board
• Housing and Community Safety Policy Board
• Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board
• Procurement Sub-Committee
• Renfrewshire Appointment Boards
• Social Work, Health and Wellbeing Policy Board
• Climate Change Sub-Committee

Some responsibilities are handled by the full council and some are carried out at a more local level by boards, panels or committees.

The Chief Executive, Directors and senior council officers also have delegated authority to make certain decisions.