The statistics watchdog examined the potential value of taxation records for statistical and research purposes. It made a case for providing users with more support and – in some cases – more data drawn from tax records. These records were already an important source of statistical information but had the potential to shed further light on vital areas, from household income and wealth through to population and migration patterns.
Source: Tax Records as a Statistical Resource, Report 37, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Links: Report | StatComm press release
Date: 2007-Nov
An article examined the use of administrative data for statistics purposes, from the point of view of a statistics producer – in particular the use of tax data to substitute for survey data. Important questions arose about data quality, cost, and perceptions of confidentiality.
Source: Stephen Penneck, 'Using administrative data for statistical purposes', Economic & Labour Market Review, October 2007, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Date: 2007-Oct
The Office for National Statistics began consultation on its statistical work programme for 2008-2012.
Source: ONS Statistical Work Programme 2008-2012, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Consultation document | ONS press release
Date: 2007-Oct
The statistics watchdog published a proposed code of practice for official statistics, aligned more closely with the European Union code.
Source: Proposals for a Code of Practice for Official Statistics, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Date: 2007-Oct
The Office for National Statistics published its annual report for 2006-07.
Source: National Statistics Annual Report 2006/07, Cm 7112, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jul
The Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 was given Royal assent. The Act provided for the creation of a new independent Board with a statutory responsibility for ensuring the quality and comprehensiveness of official statistics.
Source: Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | ONS press release
Date: 2007-Jul
The statistics watchdog published its annual report for 2006-07.
Source: Annual Report 2006-07, Cm 7138, Statistics Commission, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Date: 2007-Jul
The government published an action plan in response to a review (published in November 2006) which recommended changes in the production and release of crime statistics aimed at restoring public trust.
Source: Home Office Response to the Smith Review of Crime Statistics, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Action plan
Date: 2007-Jul
A government-commissioned report examined the use and development of citizen- and state-generated information. It said that there were social and economic benefits to new ways of making and sharing information, and recommended a strategy in which government engaged with users and operators of user-generated websites in pursuit of common social and economic objectives. The government published a response, setting out how it would take forward the recommendations made.
Source: Ed Mayo and Tom Steinberg, The Power of Information, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Report | Response | Hansard | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jun
The Office for National Statistics began consultation on its statistical work programme for the period 2008- 2012.
Source: ONS Statistical Work Programme 2008-2012, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Consultation document | ONS press release
Date: 2007-Jun
The statistics watchdog examined the ease with which both experienced researchers and novices could find and use United Kingdom official statistics through the internet, and made recommendations for improving access.
Source: Data on Demand: Access to official statistics, Report 34, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
An article examined the impact of standard statistical disclosure-control measures on the utility of a sample Census microdata set. Disclosure-control measures had a significant impact on the usability of the data, and on the accuracy of the data in relation to the findings reached when the data were used in analyses.
Source: Kingsley Purdam and Mark Elliot, 'A case study of the impact of statistical disclosure control on data quality in the individual UK samples of anonymised records', Environment and Planning A, Volume 39 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Apr
The Statistics and Registration Service Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to create a new independent Board with a statutory responsibility for ensuring the quality and comprehensiveness of official statistics.
Source: Statistics and Registration Service Bill, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 13 March 2007, columns 160-259, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2007-Mar
The statistics watchdog published a report examining how and why users outside government used official statistics.
Source: The Use Made of Official Statistics, Report 33, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Date: 2007-Mar
The Statistics and Registration Service Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to create a new independent Board with a statutory responsibility for ensuring the quality and comprehensiveness of official statistics.
Source: Statistics and Registration Service Bill, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 8 January 2007, columns 23-111, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2007-Jan
The statistics watchdog proposed amendments to the Statistics and Registration Service Bill (which was designed to create an independent board to enhance confidence in government statistics). It expressed concern that the Bill as drafted did not secure a sufficiently clear separation of executive and scrutiny roles; gave the Board responsibility for, but not authority over, official statistics in government bodies other than Office for National Statistics; did not place government bodies under an explicit obligation to observe the code of practice; and continued to let ministers determine the rules for access to statistics before they were published.
Source: Press briefing 5 January 2007, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Links: StatComm briefing
Date: 2007-Jan