What information do we hold?

Milton Keynes Council Bereavement services collect, process and store a wide range of information, including some personal details, in order to deliver our services efficiently.

We are responsible for managing the information we hold and we recognise that this information is important to you.  We take our responsibilities seriously and use personal information fairly, correctly and safely in line with the legal requirements set out by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Any company we provide information to, to undertake services such as production of memorials, is also under a legal duty to do the same and has a set of data protection clauses included in their contract.

Remember, funeral directors are working directly for you – speak to them directly if you want to know how they will be using the information you provide.  Any personal details taken over the telephone will only be used to send information requested – these details are then shredded.

Where we need to share sensitive or confidential information we will do so only with your consent or where we are legally required to do so.

We keep our privacy notices under regular review.

This Privacy Notice was last updated on 28th August 2018.

A burial or cremation will not be permitted to proceed if the information requested is not provided.

Cremation

Your name and address (as the applicant for the cremation) must be provided and recorded in the Cremation Register as set out in The Cremation Regulations 2008 (Part 7)(Regulation 33). This information is used for the purpose of administering and arranging of a cremation.

Whilst not a public document, we, as the Cremation Authority may open the Cremation Registers to any person, as well as issue to any person a copy, or an extract from the same document.

Burial including the placement of a memorial headstone on a grave

In the case of providing and arranging a burial, your name and address (as the Registered Owner or purchaser of the Exclusive Rights of Burial) to a grave must be provided and recorded in the Burial Registers as required by The Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 (as amended 1986) Article 11(1).

The Burial Registers are a public document as provided under The Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 (as amended 1986) Article 11(11), “…and shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any person free of charge.”

Dedication of a commemorative product

Where you have requested and paid for any of the products we currently offer to the bereaved we will require your name and address, contact telephone number and e-mail address for the purpose of ordering the requested product and administering its lease period. Without this information we are unable to make this provision to you.

Your personal data may be converted ('anonymised') into statistical or aggregated data in such a way as to ensure that you are not identified or identified from it. Aggregated data can't by definition, be linked back to you as an individual. This data might be used to conduct research and analysis, including preparing statistical research and reports.

Why do we have it and what do we use it for?

Burials and cremations

In order to provide these services, the council has a legal obligation to record some information about the executor or next of kin of the deceased.  We will use this information if we have to contact you about the ceremony.  It also forms part of the statutory record of burials and cremations in Milton Keynes.

Under data protection legislation, this processing is allowed because we have a statutory duty (Public Task) to provide keep these records.

Memorials

We can send you a pack with information about memorial options.  We will only use your contact details in this way if you ask us to.  If you apply, we will keep your information as a record of the adoption of your memorial.

The purpose of processing your personal data is to administer the arranging of a cremation.  We are relying on GDPR Article 6(1)(c) as the lawful basis for processing. Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject, namely the Cremation Regulations 2008 for England and Wales.

Who we share the information with and why

We may share personal data with other organisation in the following circumstances:

For law enforcement, regulation and licensing, criminal prosecutions and court proceedings.

If we need to share personal data in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (this includes personal data to others for the purposes of the prevention and detection of fraud).

The Council will also undertake to share information with the following where circumstances or law require:

• funeral directors
• memorial masons
• internal council service (administration of Public Health services)
• faith groups
• civil celebrants
• treasury solicitors office
• the Ministry of Justice
• county archivist (older records)

We will not disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Most of the personal information we hold is kept securely on Milton Keynes Council servers.  Our CCTV footage, stored by our provider Clymac Systems, is held externally but within the UK. There is also no automatic decision-taking when your personal information is processed.

How long do we keep hold of information for?

A cremation authority must keep the application for cremation and any other certificates or documents relating to a cremation, or an electronic copy of the documents, for a period of 15 years from the date of cremation. Where electronic copies of application forms and documents are kept, the originals may be securely shredded.

The Register of Cremations is kept in perpetuity.

All burial registers, grave registers and grave right registers are kept in perpetuity

What are your rights?

More information about your rights can be found in our Corporate Privacy Notice. If you would like any further information about how your personal information is used within Bereavement services, then please contact us. 

If you wish to access a copy of your personal information, or if you are unhappy with any aspect of how your information has been collected and/or used, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Officer. You can also report concerns to the national regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office.