Statistics and Registration Service Bill

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Statistics and Registration Service Bill

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(a)
“the interim period” means the period after the Board is established
under section 1 but before the Board has adopted and published a Code
under section 10(1), and
(b)
“the existing Code” means the National Statistics Code of Practice
existing at the time of the commencement of this section.
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(2)
During the interim period the Board is to maintain the existing Code.
(3)
The Board may at any time during the interim period revise the existing Code
and, if it decides to do so, must publish that Code as revised.
(4)
The Board may not under subsection (3) make any revision relating to pre-
release access to official statistics (within the meaning of section 11).
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(5)
Sections 11(2) to (7), 12 and 13 apply during the interim period in relation to the
existing Code as they apply in relation to the Code under section 10.
Production of statistics
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Production of statistics
(1)
The Board may itself produce and publish statistics relating to any matter
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relating to the United Kingdom or any part of it.
(2)
The Board may at any time publish information or give advice on statistics
produced under subsection (1).
(3)
The Board may not without the consent of the Scottish Ministers produce and
publish Scottish devolved statistics.
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(4)
The Board may not without the consent of a Welsh ministerial authority
produce and publish Welsh devolved statistics.
(5)
The Board may not without the consent of the appropriate Northern Ireland
department produce and publish Northern Ireland devolved statistics.
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Retail prices index
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(1)
The Board must under section 18—
(a)
compile and maintain the retail prices index, and
(b)
publish it every month.
(2)
Before making any change to the coverage or the basic calculation of the retail
prices index, the Board must consult the Bank of England as to whether the
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change constitutes a fundamental change in the index which would be
materially detrimental to the interests of the holders of relevant index-linked
gilt-edged securities.
(3)
If the Bank of England considers that the change constitutes a fundamental
change in the index which would be materially detrimental to the interests of
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the holders of relevant index-linked gilt-edged securities, the Board may not
make the change without the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
(4)
In this section —
“index-linked gilt-edged securities” means securities issued under section
12 of the National Loans Act 1968 (c. 13) the amount of the payments
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Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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under which is determined wholly or partly by reference to the retail
prices index;
“relevant index-linked gilt-edged securities” means index-linked gilt-
edged securities issued before the commencement of this section
subject to a prospectus containing provision relating to early
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redemption in the event of a change to the retail prices index;
“retail prices index” means the United Kingdom General Index of Retail
Prices.
Additional statistical functions
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Statistical services
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(1)
The Board may provide statistical services to any person in any place within or
outside the United Kingdom.
(2)
The services which may be provided under this section include in particular—
(a)
providing information, advice and technical assistance in relation to
statistics;
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(b)
providing quality assessment in relation to statistics;
(c)
conducting statistical surveys and analysis;
(d)
collecting, adapting and developing data.
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Statistical research
The Board may promote and assist statistical research, in particular by
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providing access (where it may lawfully do so) to data held by it.
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Delegated functions
(1)
A Minister of the Crown may by order delegate to the Board any of his
functions relating to the production of statistics.
(2)
A Welsh ministerial authority may by order delegate to the Board any of the
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authority’s functions relating to the production of statistics.
(3)
A Northern Ireland department may by order delegate to the Board any of its
functions relating to the production of statistics.
(4)
An order under this section may include consequential or incidental provision
(including provision amending any enactment).
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Census etc
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Census etc
(1)
The functions of the Registrar General for England and Wales under the
enactments specified in subsection (2) are transferred to the Board.
(2)
Those enactments are—
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(a)
the Census Act 1920 (c. 41) (censuses);
(b)
section 19 of the Registration Service Act 1953 (c. 37) (annual abstract of
number of births, deaths and marriages);

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(c)
paragraph 5(a) and (c) of Schedule 1 to the Parliamentary
Constituencies Act 1986 (c. 56) (function as assessor to Boundary
Commission for England and Boundary Commission for Wales).
(3)
Schedule 1 (which makes consequential and supplementary provision relating
to the transfer of functions under subsection (1)) has effect.
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Functions: supplementary
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Ancillary powers
(1)
The Board may do anything which it thinks necessary or expedient for the
purpose of, or in connection with, the exercise of its functions.
(2)
Anything required to be published by the Board may be published by it in such
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manner as it thinks fit.
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Reports
(1)
As soon as possible after the end of each financial year the Board must produce
a report on—
(a)
what it has done during that year,
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(b)
what it has found during that year, and
(c)
what it intends to do during the next financial year.
(2)
The Board must lay a report under subsection (1) before—
(a)
Parliament,
(b)
the Scottish Parliament,
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(c)
the National Assembly for Wales, and
(d)
the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(3)
The Board may at any time produce a report about any matter relating to the
exercise of its functions.
(4)
The Board may lay a report under subsection (3) before any or all of the
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following—
(a)
Parliament;
(b)
the Scottish Parliament;
(c)
the National Assembly for Wales;
(d)
the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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(5)
Where the Board lays a report under this section it must publish it as soon as
possible thereafter.
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Efficiency etc
(1)
The Board must exercise its functions efficiently and cost-effectively.
(2)
The Board must seek to minimise the burdens (including financial burdens) it
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imposes on other persons.

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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Directions
(1)
If the Chancellor of the Exchequer considers that there has been a serious
failure by the Board—
(a)
to comply with its objective, or
(b)
to perform any of its functions,
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he may give the Board such directions as he considers appropriate to remedy
the failure.
(2)
If the Scottish Ministers consider that there has been a serious failure by the
Board—
(a)
to comply with its objective, or
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(b)
to perform any of its functions so far as relating to Scottish devolved
statistics,

they may, with the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, give the Board
such directions as they consider appropriate to remedy the failure.
(3)
If the Welsh Ministers consider that there has been a serious failure by the
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Board—
(a)
to comply with its objective, or
(b)
to perform any of its functions so far as relating to Welsh devolved
statistics,

they may, with the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, give the Board
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such directions as they consider appropriate to remedy the failure.
(4)
If the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland considers that
there has been a serious failure by the Board—
(a)
to comply with its objective, or
(b)
to perform any of its functions so far as relating to Northern Ireland
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devolved statistics,

it may, with the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, give the Board
such directions as it considers appropriate to remedy the failure.
(5)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer may give the Board such directions as he
considers appropriate for the purpose of implementing any Community
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obligation.
(6)
A direction under this section must be in writing.
(7)
A direction under this section must be published by the authority which gave
it in such manner as that authority considers appropriate for the purpose of
bringing it to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it.
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(8)
If the Board fails to comply with any direction given to it under this section, the
authority which gave the direction may give effect to it, and for that purpose
may exercise any function of the Board.
(9)
But the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers and the Department of Finance
and Personnel for Northern Ireland may only give effect to a direction under
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subsection (8) with the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.