Author: Great Britain. Parliament House of Commons. Treasury Committee

Publisher:

Published: 2001-01

Total Pages: 83

ISBN-13: 9780102033014

This Report describes the results of an inquiry of the Treasury Committee into the implementation by the Office for National Statistics of new arrangements for National Statistics. The Committee had identified a number of weaknesses in the management and structure of Government statistics. The Government responded by introducing changes and innovations which, as far as they go, are supported by the Committee. From the evidence received by the Committee the new arrangements for National Statistics have received a guarded welcome from a range of interested parties. The Committee is dissatisfied that the Government has not placed the new arrangements on a statutory footing and makes the recommendation that it is absolutely essential for the new arrangements to be enshrined in a Statistics Act. Legislation would establish more clearly the specific responsibilities of Ministers, the National Statistician, the Statistics Commission and others in relation to National Statistics and guard against political interference and backsliding in the future. The Committee makes a number of further recommendations. These include: the National Statistician, who has responsibility for ensuring the integrity and quality of National Statistics, should have direct access to the Prime Minister, meaning direct and not through the Head of the Home Civil Service; the scope of national statistics should expand over time; the scope should be an independent decision for the National Statistician in consultation with the Statistics Commission, as should the scope and definition of the Retail Price Index.