My approach to answering your emails and letters

As your Member of Parliament, I represent everyone in our community, regardless of how they voted, and I ensure that everyone who writes to me receives a reply. 

We call your emails and letters casework and that can cover a wide range of issues from very personal matters such as housing problems, visas, urgent medical needs, and safeguarding concerns, to policy-related questions, campaigns, and diary requests. 

My team and I treat every case with fairness, confidentiality, and sensitivity, and we listen, serve, and act because real change comes from staying grounded in the lives of the people I represent. 

To manage the large volume of correspondence effectively, we triage casework so that urgent issues, such as evictions and homelessness, urgent care, urgent medical needs, and safeguarding concerns, are given the highest priority, while other matters are also addressed in turn with the same commitment and diligence.

How we triage case work

To manage the large volume of correspondence effectively, we triage casework so that urgent issues are given the highest priority, while other matters are also addressed in turn with the same commitment and diligence.

Urgent Casework – Evictions, homelessness, visa issues, urgent care or medical needs and safeguarding

Regular Casework – no less important but not as time sensitive.  For example, an ongoing issue with HMRC

Policy Casework – Questions about Local and National policy, for example Gaza or Terminally Ill Adults Bill.  

Campaign emails, diary requests and lobbying – These are noted on the diary list for consideration

Who can I help?

I am here to help people who live in Henley and Thame, as that is the constituency I represent. If you are getting in touch, please include your full name and address so that my team can confirm you are a constituent. If you live outside the area, I will not be able to take up your case, but my team will always try to point you in the right direction.

If you or the person you are acting on behalf of do not currently have an address in Henley and Thame, for instance, if they are of no fixed abode but with clear links to the area (such as their last formal address or parents still living locally), or if they are currently in prison but lived here immediately before being sentenced, my team and I will always aim to apply common sense.

To make sure we can focus fully on supporting local residents, my team and I may not be able to reply further if we have asked for your address and you have not provided it.

I am committed to representing and helping everyone in Henley and Thame, whether or not you voted for me, whether you voted at all, and even if you are not currently on the electoral register. If you aren’t registered, I would encourage you to do so: not only is it quick and simple, but it can also help improve your credit score! Here is a link to register

What I can help with

My team and I can provide support with a wide range of issues, including helping you contact Government departments such as HMRC or the DWP, local service providers like Thames Water or SSE and local government bodies including South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council. In addition, I can offer clarification of my position as a Liberal Democrat on local and national topics and how we are holding the government.

Whether you’re seeking advice, need assistance resolving a problem, or require help navigating processes, we are here to make sure your concerns are heard and directed to the right place for a resolution.

What I cannot help with

While my office is here to help wherever possible, there are some things I am unable to do. These include giving legal advice or intervening in ongoing legal proceedings, providing consumer or contract advice, offering debt advice or guidance on financial services, or becoming involved in disputes between individuals. 

I will also not assist in securing an unfair advantage or support unreasonable requests. 

I kindly ask that everyone who contacts my office treats me and my team with respect. Abuse or threats will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and any threats received will be reported to Thames Valley Police.

What to expect when you get in touch?

When you write to my office, you will receive an automatic confirmation to let you know your message has been delivered. If you haven’t included your name and constituency address, the auto-response will prompt you to provide these details so we can assist you properly. The confirmation will also outline our priority casework topics and share information about other organisations and agencies that may be able to help, such as FixMyStreet Oxfordshire.

Once your email or letter has been triaged it will be assigned a case reference number and our enquiries on your behalf will begin.  

Urgent casework will usually receive a response on the same day, regular casework within two weeks, and policy casework within 8 weeks. 

We always aim to exceed these expectations, but please be aware that the inbox is very busy, and we will get to your enquiry as quickly as possible.

My Privacy Notice

This privacy notice tells you what to expect Freddie van Mierlo MP and his office to do with your personal information.  

What information we collect, use, and why 

Freddie van Mierlo MP and his office will collect or use the following personal information for the purpose of responding to constituency casework: 

· Name, address and contact details 

· Correspondence with yourself and relevant third parties detailing your constituency casework issue(s). 

· In some cases the information collected may include sensitive personal information that is defined in law as 'special category data’, where disclosed by you or relevant to the constituency casework being responded to. This includes information on: 

· Racial or ethnic origin 

· Political opinions 

· Religious or philosophical beliefs 

· Trade union membership 

· Genetic information 

· Biometric information (where used to identify someone) 

· Health information 

· Sex life information 

· Sexual orientation information 

We will only use your personal information for the purpose of confirming you are a constituent and responding to constituency casework. 

Lawful bases and data protection rights 

UnderUK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website. 

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are in brief set out below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website: 

• Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for.

• Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. 

• Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information.

• Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information.

• Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. 

• Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you.

• Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.  

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month. 

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice. 

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data:

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for the purpose of responding to constituency casework are: 

• Public task - Freddie van Mierlo MP and his staff have to collect or use your information to carry out a task laid down in law, which the law intends to be performed by an elected representative. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure and the right to portability.

• Consent - Freddie van Mierlo MP and his staff have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, where we have relied on the lawful basis of consent you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. 

Where we get personal information from: 

• Directly from you 

• From other individuals or organisations consulted, as relevant to the constituency casework being responded to e.g. 

o Individuals with authority to act on your behalf (e.g.with consent from you to act on their behalf, with power of attorney or with parental responsibility for an individual aged under 18 years) 

o Councils, government departments and public sector organisations 

o Health care providers 

o Schools, colleges, universities or other education organisations 

o Other third-party organisations as relevant to the specific constituency casework issue or enquiry e.g. private utility, transport or telecommunications organisations. 

How long we keep information: 

Freddie van Mierlo MP and his office will retain your data for up to 5 years after your case has been closed. After 5 years your data will be deleted. 

Who we share information with: 

Freddie van Mierlo MP and his office may share personal information with government departments, local authorities and other public bodies as relevant to the constituency casework being responded to. We will only share as much information as is necessary to take your case forward. 

Where relevant to constituency casework we may also share personal information with other individuals and third-party organisations. Except where we are relying on the lawful basis of ‘Public task’ we will ensure that we have your consent before sharing information. We will only share as much information as is necessary to take your case forward. 

How to complain: 

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice. 

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO. 

The ICO’s address:            

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF 

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113 

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint 

 My Social Media Policy

My social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and X (twitter), are owned and managed by me, with the support of my team. These channels aim to increase awareness of my work and share information I feel is useful to my constituents.

I do not normally reply to comments on my social media channels. I engage with local constituents by email, in surgeries, and at events or meetings; I regularly knock on doors and publish surveys to ask for your views. However, I do not engage in discussions on social media.

Breach of the following guidelines on my social media channels may lead to your comments being hidden or deleted, users may be blocked without notice, and serious breaches may be reported to the police or social media platform.

• Please comment respectfully.
• Abuse, threats or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated – even if you think the words used were mild or intended as a joke.
• No bigotry, or discriminatory terms.

  • While comments that disagree with my position will normally be allowed to remain on my page, commenters should not be promoting other political parties or campaigns - please use or create your own pages for such messages.

• Regular comments or frequent posts taking a consistent contrary view on almost everything will be regarded as vexatious or deemed to be trolling and will be removed - again please use or create your own pages for such challenge. 

• Comments that misrepresent my actions, beliefs or position on an issue will be removed.
• Comments intended to deflect or divert attention from the content of the main post are not permitted.
• No misinformation or conspiracy theories.
• No comments from fake accounts or bots that seek to take over the comments.
• Spamming is not tolerated. This includes persistent posting of comments across multiple posts or platforms that say the same thing or an unrelated comment to the original post. These comments will be deleted, and the account posting them may be blocked without prior notice.

The above policy should be read along side my Office Standards Policy

If you cannot access one of my social media profiles, it may be because you have been blocked. Email me at freddie.vanmierlo.mp@parliament.uk for any legitimate enquiries.

My Office Standards Policy

I am proud to represent the residents of the Henley and Thame constituency. My casework service is supported by staff members in both my constituency and Westminster offices. We’re a small team of dedicated staff who work hard to support as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. 

There are occasions when people may act out of character in times of trouble or distress. There may have been upsetting or distressing circumstances leading up to a constituent approaching my office. 

However, I will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour nor actions that result in unacceptable or excessive demands on my staff in a way that it prevents them from carrying out their duties effectively. 

It is these behaviours and actions that I aim to manage under this Policy. 

Aggressive or abusive behaviour 

I understand that many constituents are often upset and angry about the issues they have raised with me. If that anger escalates into aggression towards my team, I consider that unacceptable. Any violence or abuse towards my team will not be tolerated. 

 Violence is not restricted to acts of aggression that may result in physical harm. It also includes behaviour or language (whether verbal or written) that may cause staff to feel offended, afraid, threatened or abused. 

I will judge each situation individually and appreciate individuals who come to my office may be upset. While I accept that those who contact me may feel angry, it is not acceptable to shout or swear at anyone in my office. 

Unacceptable language is that which:

• is offensive, derogatory or patronising,

• is discriminatory in any way, including racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic comments; or
• makes serious allegations that individuals have committed criminal, corrupt or perverse conduct without any evidence. 

I may decide that comments aimed not at my team but at third parties are unacceptable because of the effect that listening or reading them may have on my team. 

Examples include rudeness, offensive comments, derogatory remarks, making inflammatory statements, or raising unsubstantiated allegations made towards these third parties. 

All threats against either myself or my team will be taken extremely seriously and if my team feel uncomfortable or threatened at any point during a conversation with a constituent, the interaction may be ended at any time and the Police may be contacted. 

Unreasonable demands 

A demand becomes unacceptable when it starts to (or when complying with the demand would) impact substantially on the work my staff carry out on my behalf. 

Examples of this behaviour include:

• repeatedly demanding a response within an unreasonable timescale,

• insisting on seeing or speaking to a particular member of staff, or indeed myself, when that is not possible,
• repeatedly changing the substance of a complaint or raising unrelated concerns. 

An example of such impact would be that the demand takes up an excessive amount of time and in doing so disadvantages other constituents and prevents their own complaint from being dealt with quickly. 

Unreasonable levels of contact 

Sometimes the volume, frequency and duration of contact made to my office by an individual causes problems. An ‘unreasonable level of contact’ can occur over a short period, for example, a number of calls in one day or hour, or frequent and persistent emails on a vast range of issues which take up a disproportionate amount of staff time. 

An ‘unreasonable level of contact’ may also occur over the life-span of a complaint when a constituent repeatedly makes long telephone calls to my office or inundates my office with copies of information that has been sent already or that is irrelevant to the complaint. 

I consider that the level of contact has become unacceptable when the amount of time spent talking to a constituent on the telephone, or responding to, reviewing and filing emails or written correspondence impacts on my office's ability to deal with that complaint, or with other constituents’ complaints. 

Harassment  

My team has the right to carry out their duties free from harassment or threats of harassment. I ask everyone to respect that my team are delivering a service on my behalf and therefore this may not reflect their own views or preferences. 

Examples of behaviours I consider to be harassment against my office include: 

• recording telephone discussions and publishing the information online, such as through Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, X (twitter) and TikTok, or other platforms;

• contacting staff using their personal details or social media presence, such as Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, X (twitter) and TikTok, or other platforms;
• publishing personal, sensitive or private information about staff online or other public domains such as noticeboards or newsletters. 

Unacceptable or excessive demands 

A demand becomes unacceptable when it starts to (or when complying with the demand would) impact substantially on the work of my office. 

Examples of this behaviour include:

• repeatedly demanding a response within an unreasonable timescale,

• insisting on, or refusing to, speak to a particular member of staff, when that is not possible,
• repeatedly changing the substance of a complaint or raising unrelated concerns, including “spamming” my office with emails on a vast range of issues.
• Making repeated and unnecessary contact during the course of my office dealing with a complaint or carrying out an investigation,
• Refusing to accept a decision where explanations for the decision have been provided. 

An example of such impact would be that the demand takes up an excessive amount of staff time and in doing so disadvantages other constituents and prevents their own complaint from being dealt with quickly. 

Refusal to co-operate. 

When reviewing a complaint, my office will need to ask the individual who has contacted my office to continue to work with my team through the process. This can include agreeing to:

• the complaint my team will look at,

• provide my team with further information, evidence or comments on request, or
• help my team by summarising their concerns. 

Sometimes, an individual repeatedly refuses to co-operate or fails to respond to our requests and this makes it difficult for us to proceed. My office will always seek to assist someone if they have a specific, genuine difficulty complying with a request. 

However, it is unacceptable to bring a complaint to my office and then not respond to clear and appropriate requests by my team. 

Reasonable adjustments 

I understand that some constituents may find it difficult to express themselves or communicate clearly, especially when they are anxious or upset. In order to do this, we ask that they explain what adjustments they’re looking for and how this will ensure they can access the service my office offers. 

My office will always consider making reasonable adjustments for a constituent asked to do so. Examples of adjustments we can consider are:

• we could consider using different methods of communication;

• providing written communication in large print, coloured text, or in translation;
• giving clear warnings if conversations become unproductive and allowing constituents to opportunity to modify their behaviour before ending a call. 

However, I do not expect my staff to accept being subjected to aggressive, offensive, threatening or abusive actions, language or behaviour. 

I may still use the policy if there are actions or behaviours which are having a negative effect on our staff or our work even where a reasonable adjustment has been made. 

Actions I may take: 

When my office experiences behaviour or demands which are unacceptable, I may consider taking more formal action. The actions I will consider may include the following: 

• Warning the constituent about their behaviour and requesting that the constituent modifies their behaviour in future contact with us;

• Reporting an individual to the Police;
• Appointing a specific point of contact for the constituent;
• Communicating only in writing or via a representative;
• Deciding not to investigate a complaint on the basis that it has been pursued in a way that is unacceptable;
• Stop all communication with a constituent;
• Restricting or limiting contact; or
• Your telephone number and email may be automatically blocked from our systems. 

Where it is decided that formal action must be taken a note may be placed on our records to this effect.