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Policy documents

livestock information service privacy notice

Date of last review May 2025

Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains how Livestock Information Ltd (LI) collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use the Livestock Information Service (LIS). LIS is a digital platform that enables livestock keepers and those in the supply chain to report livestock movements and related activity in England.

 

We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy in accordance with UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

 

Table of Contents

  1. Who we are
  2. Data we collect
  3. Our lawful basis
  4. How we use your information
  5. Sharing your information
  6. How long we keep your information
  7. How we keep your information safe
  8. Your rights
  9. How to contact us

1. Who we are

LI is a subsidiary of The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)

 

LI operates the Livestock Information Service (LIS), a single sign-on system that currently supports movement reporting for sheep, goats, and deer, with support for cattle and pigs to follow. Our aim is to provide a modern, secure and accurate livestock traceability system for England.

 

In time, the LIS aims to become an important national tool that enables industry and government to:
 

  • Better control chronic endemic livestock diseases
  • Terminate exotic disease outbreaks quickly and effectively.
  • Drive positive changes in productivity and sustainability.
  • Develop a competitive trade advantage by building trade partner and consumer confidence in the provenance of British meat and livestock products.

 

You can find out more about us at: www.livestockinformation.org.uk
Data Protection Officer contact: data.protection@livestockinformation.org.uk

Registered address:

Livestock Information Ltd
Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

 

2. Data we collect

 

We collect the following types of personal data:

 

  • Identification details (e.g. name, address, CPH number, contact information)
  • Login and user credentials
  • Livestock movement and holding records
  • Veterinary information,including Veterinary Attestations
  • Device and usage data,including IP address, browser, and login activity
  • Correspondence with our support or technical teams
  • Third-party details where provided (e.g. agents, vets)

 

We may also collect special category data (e.g. health or professional registration details) where necessary and with appropriate safeguards

 

We may collect personal data directly in the following ways

 

  • Directly from you – e.g. when registering for services, giving feedback, applying for roles, or joining governance panels.
  • From third-party public bodies –such as the Rural Payments Agency, APHA, or FSA, where it supports statutory functions like cross-border movement reporting.
  • Via online platforms –e.g. cookies, session analytics, IP address logging and website interaction tools (see our Cookie Policy).
  • From publicly available sources – such as Companies House.
  • From social media – depending on your account and privacy settings on platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

 

3. Our Lawful basis

Public Task – As an arms-length body of Defra processing personal information is necessary in the exercise of the official authority of Defra to supply livestock traceability under statute, by operation of the following regulations and laws.

 

UK Laws

 

 

Assimilated EU Laws

 

 

Contract – where we have contractual relationships with suppliers, customers and employees processing is necessary to administer the pre-contract and contractual obligations for the performance of a contract.

 

Legitimate Interest – where we have contractual relationships with suppliers, customers and employees processing is necessary to administer the pre-contract and contractual obligations for the performance of a contract.

 

Legal Obligation – we process and share some information because it is necessary to comply with laws and regulations to do with running an organisation and employing staff including but not limited to – health & safety legislation, tax laws, human rights and employment laws.

 

Vital Interest – we process some sensitive information on health and disability provided to us by employees to enable us to respond in the most appropriate way in the event of a medical emergency. This would only be used in the event their consent cannot be provided.

 

Consent – where required for optional features or communications

4. How We Use Your Information

We collect and use personal information to operate and improve the Livestock Information Service (LIS) on behalf of Defra and AHDB. This includes delivering statutory livestock traceability services and supporting industry-led initiatives.

We collect and use personal information for the following business administration purposes, including:

 

Industry stakeholders

  • To contact stakeholders and industry organisations about opportunities to engage with LIS and support traceability services.
  • To collaborate on joint projects, keep stakeholders updated on progress, and share relevant innovations or developments.
  • To tailor our services, communications, and resources based on your interactions with LIS including publications, event attendance, and service usage and information from trusted third parties.
  • To analyse trends on our websites and social media channels, enhance user experience, and personalise content and features.
  • To produce reports and insights that help Government, and the livestock industry make informed decisions on trade and business planning.
  • To monitor the use and performance of our digital platforms to identify security threats, detect suspicious activity, and address system inefficiencies.

 

Suppliers and customers

  • For business purposes to administer our pre-contract and contractual supplier/customer obligations.

 

LI employees and potential employees

  • To manage recruitment processes and employment activities such as pay, benefits, legal compliance, and wellbeing.
  • An employee-specific privacy notice is provided internally for current and future staff.

5. Sharing Your Information

As part of the LIS, we may share your data for regulatory and animal health purposes with Government departments and agencies including –

 

  • The Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA)
  • Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
  • Food Standards Agency (FSA)
  • The Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
  • The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) or its equivalents in the Devolved Administrations or their appointed agents.
  • Universities and institutions conducting research on animal diseases, monitor outbreaks, and develop strategies for prevention and control.
  • Trading Standards

 

As part of our service delivery, we may share your data with reputable third parties to:

 

  • Help deliver stakeholder events, for example to facilitate online registration.
  • Respond to requests from courts or law enforcement agencies.
  • Where we appoint reputable data processors to complete processing activities on our behalf. This will only occur where we believe the activity is within stakeholder’s interest and provides tangible benefits, such as improved product functionality or a higher quality of service delivery.
    • Livestock Information Ltd requires all such third parties to treat personal data as confidential and asks for appropriate safeguards to be introduced to protect it.
  • We will never sell your personal information to third parties or release your personal information to any company outside of LI for mailing or marketing purposes.

   5.1. How Long We Keep Your Information

We will retain your personal information for no longer than necessary for the purpose it was obtained unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. We retain data for scientific and historical research purposes to support the following –

 

  • Facilitate research and analysis related to animal health, including investigations into diseases and associated factors, in compliance with regulatory requirements
  • Monitor, detect, and analyse outbreaks of animal diseases to support public health initiatives supporting necessary measures for containment and prevention
  • Development and implementation of strategies aimed at preventing and controlling animal diseases, contributing to public health measures while adhering to relevant regulations

 

In the event we have no lawful basis for processing your personal data, it will be securely disposed. If you would like further information on our specific retention periods, please contact us using the details provided below.

6. How we keep your information safe

We use a combination of technical and organisational measures to protect your data:

 

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest, where appropriate.
  • Secure cloud infrastructure and internal network
  • Access controls at administrative, technical, and physical levels
  • Contracts with third parties that ensure GDPR-compliant handling
  • Data hosted within the UK and EEA where possible; international transfers include recognised safeguards
  • A dedicated Data Protection Officer monitors compliance and advises on best practice
  • LI holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification and is actively pursuing ISO 27001 certification

7. Your rights

By law you have certain rights over your personal data that we hold about you and these are summarised below.

 

While you have the below rights, please be aware that some are not absolute and may be subject to limitations or exemptions under the Data Protection Act 2018. For a detailed explanation of your rights and when they apply, we recommend consulting the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance which can be found on the ICO’s website.

 

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer using the contact details below. We encourage you to raise any concerns with us first. If you remain dissatisfied, you can lodge a complaint with the UK’s independent authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

 

If you’re not satisfied and wish to complain the independent supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) information can be found at https://ico.org.uk/

 

Right Description
Right to Access (Right to Know) You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten) You can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to Restriction of Processing You can ask us to pause the use of your data under specific conditions
Right to Data Portability You can request your data in a structured, commonly used format to transfer it elsewhere.
Right to Object You can object to processing based on legitimate interest or for direct marketing purposes.
Rights related to Automated Decision-Making and Profiling You are protected from decisions made solely by automated means that have legal or significant effects.
Right to Withdraw Consent Where we rely on consent to process your data, you can withdraw it at any time by contacting us.

 

Right to Complain: – Data Subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if they believe their data protection rights have been violated. Please contact the Data Protection Officer in the first instance.

 

8. How to contacts us

General queries info@livestockinformation.org.uk

Data Protection queries data.protection@livestockinformation.org.uk

 

You can write to us at the following address.

 

FAO LI Data Protection Officer

Livestock Information Ltd

Seacole Building

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

 

 

Document Approval

Version 11
Last Updated By Danny Meaney, Data Protection Officer
Last Updated date April 2025
Effective From May 2025
Next Review Date May 2026