An article analysed key aspects of data collection on older people, including survey design and questions. It focused on three areas where there was under-representation in some statistical sources - older people in institutions; the oldest old people; and older people from ethnic minorities.
Source: Cecilia Tomassini, 'Demographic data needs for an ageing population', Population Trends 118, Winter 2004, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
The government announced that it had dropped a planned 'citizen information project', involving a national population register. It said that a feasibility study had recommended that proposals for a national identity register, as part of government proposals for identity cards, might be a more cost-effective approach, rather than developing a separate register.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 28 October 2004, columns 53WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2004-Oct
The watchdog for official statistics criticised revisions to official data on pensions and healthcare output, saying they undermined public confidence.
Source: Press release 5 July 2004, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Links: StatComm press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
The watchdog for official statistics published its annual report for 2003-04. It said that the practice of giving ministers access to official statistics five days before publication should be stopped, to prevent 'spin' and increase public trust.
Source: Annual Report 2003 2004, Statistics Commission, Cm 6250, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
A report recommended that new legislation should be introduced to strengthen the arrangements ensuring that official statistics could be trusted.
Source: Legislation to Build Trust in Statistics, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Links: Report (pdf) | StatComm press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
An article considered the implications for family policy of proposed changes to the registration of births, marriages and deaths. Changes in civil registration were seen as an essential condition for implementing other types of changes in the family policy arena.
Source: Janet Finch, 'Family policy and civil registration in England and Wales: an analysis of the White Paper Civil Registration: Vital Change', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 33 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Apr
The government's chief statistician published guidelines suggesting standards for the collection and classification of information on ethnicity, designed to achieve comparability over time and between sources of data.
Source: Ethnic Group Statistics: Guide for the collection and classification of ethnicity data, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Guidelines (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan
The government's chief statistician published a feasibility study into developing a 'population register' bringing together basic information about people who are usually resident in the United Kingdom - such as names and addresses, ongoing changes to address and other contact information. He said that such a register would have many statistical and administrative benefits: it would become the authoritative source of name and address information for use across the public sector, and would support joined-up delivery and more efficient and effective transaction and back office services.
Source: Citizen Information Project, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034) and HM Treasury
Links: Report | ONS press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jan
It was reported that the official General Household Survey would, from 2004, attempt to measure social capital, by asking questions such as whether people did voluntary work and how often they saw friends and relatives.
Source: The Guardian, 28 January 2004
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jan
A report by an independent review group said that official statistics should be subject to clearer rules governing their release to the public; that there should be greater recognition that official statistics should be seen as belonging to the public, not to government or the party in government ; that there was no need for the arrangements under which ministers received advance notice of official statistics; and that the position of the National Statistician and the Statistics Commission should be formalised through legislation. The government said it welcomed the review s acknowledgement that some 'important steps' had been taken to reinforce the independence of the statistical service, and said it would take account of the report's recommendations in its continuing work on the issue. The chairman of the review group reportedly expressed fears that the government would fail to implement some of his recommendations.
Source: An Independent Review of Government Communications (the 'Phillis report'), Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 19 January 2004, columns 50-51WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 19 January 2004, Cabinet Office | The Guardian, 23 January 2004
Links: Report (pdf) | Hansard | Cabinet Office press release | Statistics Commission press release (pdf) | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2004-Jan