We need to handle personal information about you so that we can provide services for you. This is how we look after that information.  

When we ask you for personal information, we promise:  

• to make sure you know why we need it;
• to only ask for what we need, and not to collect too much or irrelevant information;
• to protect it and make sure nobody has access to it who shouldn’t;
• to let you know if we share it with other organisations to give you better public services - and if you can say no;
• to make sure we don’t keep it longer than necessary; and
• not to make your personal information available for commercial use without your permission.

In return, we ask you to:  

• give us accurate information; and
• tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes, such as a new address.

This helps us to keep your information reliable and up to date. You can get more details on:  

• how to find out what information we hold about you and how to ask us to correct any mistakes;
• agreements we have with other organisations for sharing information;
• circumstances where we can pass on your personal information without telling you, for example, to
• prevent and detect crime or to produce anonymised statistics;
• our instructions to staff on how to collect, use and delete your personal information;
• how we check the information we hold is accurate and up to date; and
• how to make a complaint.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: The Knowledge and Information Management Team: mailto:kim.cws@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk 

The Insolvency Service must keep an up-to-date register, open to public inspection, which shows:

• Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) and Fast-Track Voluntary Arrangements (FTVAs);
• Bankruptcy Orders;
• Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders or Undertakings (BROs/BRUs);
• Debt Relief Orders (DROs); and
• Debt Relief Restrictions Orders or Undertakings (DRROs/DRRUs).

As the law requires us to keep the register, we cannot be held responsible for the actions of anyone who obtains and uses data from it. This includes people using internet search engines. 

For more information on the register, please see the guidance here. 

When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 1998. For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact the Information Commissioner at: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Phone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 Fax: 01625 524510

Website: Data Protection and Freedom of Information Advice - Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Privacy Statement

The Insolvency Service is an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. Official Receivers in England and Wales are Insolvency Service staff.

This Privacy Policy Statement explains how we protect and respect information we collect from you while you are using our website. It explains how The Insolvency Service uses any information you give to us and the ways in which we protect your privacy.

The Data Protection Act

Under the Data Protection Act, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard any information provided by bankrupts on our Bankruptcy Preliminary Information Interactive Questionnaire and we keep strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it.

What information do we collect?

1. Using our website

You do not have to register or enter any personal details to use our website. We only collect information where stated, for example when you order any  publications or email your comments to us you are asked to enter details so we can reply to you. These forms do not store or capture personal information but merely log the user's IP address, which is automatically recognised by the web server. This website does not use cookies for collecting user information from the site. Information collected generally on the website is only collected for the purpose stated and we do not pass on your details to any third party or government department unless you give us permission to do so.

2. The Enforcement Hotline

Information provided in the hotline questionnaire is sent to us by email. This information is not captured or stored by the website. The personal information you provide is used by our Enforcement Directorate to contact you further regarding your complaint.

3. Using the Interactive Questionnaire if you are bankrupt

If you are bankrupt and provide required information to the Official Receiver by using our interactive questionnaire we will collect and store personally identifiable information about you – just as we do if you provide the required information in the traditional paper publication questionnaire. 

The information in the interactive questionnaire can only be accessed using your username and a password, which you choose. We do not pass these on to any third party or government department. The information you provide in the interactive questionnaire is transmitted to us using encryption software and stored securely.

Once received by The Insolvency Service the information will be accessed by authorised personnel in the Official Receiver's Office dealing with the administration of your bankruptcy estate. 

The Insolvency Service uses the information provided by you to administer your insolvent estate. The Insolvency Service will not sell your personally identifiable information to anyone.  

If you are bankrupt personally identifiable information about you will be on the Individual Insolvency Register, which is a public register and records you name, address, date of birth, the date of your bankruptcy order and date of discharge. Some of this information will be verified against the information you provide in the interactive questionnaire.  

The Insolvency Service will only send personally identifiable information about you to other government departments, companies or people when: 

• the Official Receiver requires information in the course of his enquiries from third parties;

• we are required by law to provide information to others (e.g. the Inland Revenue); 

• we have your consent to share the information; 

• we respond to court orders or other legal processes. 

What happens when you link to another site? 

www.insolvency.gov.uk contains links to websites of other government departments and other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to our site, 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.

Changes to this privacy policy 

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