pbc0080118.7-10

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

7

House of Commons

Thursday 18th January 2007

Public Bill Committee Proceedings

Statistics and Registration Service Bill

[Third and Fourth sittings]

Mr Michael Fallon

Negatived on division  15

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  13,  after ‘Majesty’, insert ‘on the advice of the Prime

Minister’.

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Not called  120

Clause  5,  page  3,  leave out lines 14 and 15 and insert—

‘(b)
employed to operate independently of the Board with scrutiny and

oversight of the role provided by the Board.’.

Mr David Gauke

Negatived on division  188

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  15,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
No appointment shall be made under subsection (2) until it has been approved by

the Commission established under section (Establishment of a Commission for

Official Statistics).’.

Mr David Gauke

Not called  189

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  15,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
Appointments made under subsection (2) shall be subject to review by the

Commission established under section (Establishment of a Commission for

Official Statistics) within one year of their having been made.

(2B)
The Commission shall produce a report on any review carried out under

subsection (2A) and shall lay it before each House of Parliament.’.

Mr Michael Fallon

Negatived on division  16

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(3A)
The National Statistician shall have right of direct access to the Prime Minister

on any matter involving dispute with a government department.’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 18th January 2007
8

Statistics and Registration Service Bill, continued

Clause Agreed to.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Negatived on division  151

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  34,  leave out ‘Board’ and insert ‘National Statistician’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mr Michael Fallon

Not called  17

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  21,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
In order to fulfil its objective under subsection (1) above, the Board shall have

authority to—

(a)
supervise the production of any official statistics; and

(b)
require any improvements and corrections that it considers necessary to

official statistics.’.

Alun Michael

Not called  191

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  21,  at end insert—

‘(d)
the effective use of official statistics to inform local and regional public

service delivery.’.

Alun Michael

Not called  192

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  26,  at end insert ‘and effective use in the public interest’.

Clause Agreed to.

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Negatived on division  87

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  30,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Mr Michael Fallon

Not called  18

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  33,  at end insert—

‘(d)
the funding and staffing resources allocated to the production of any

official statistics,’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 18th January 2007
9

Statistics and Registration Service Bill, continued

Alun Michael

Not called  193

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  33,  at end insert—

‘(d)
the effective use of statistics to inform public policy,’.

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Negatived on division  88

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  35,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Not called  99

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  35,  at end insert—

‘(4)
Where it considers it to be appropriate, the Board shall provide public comment

on cases where it considers that official statistics have been incorrectly

interpreted by ministers, departments or other civil servants.’.

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Not called  121

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  35,  at end insert—

‘(4)
The Board shall have responsibility to monitor and assess the performance of the

National Statistician against the assigned responsibilities.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Not called  100

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  37,  leave out ‘Board’ and insert ‘National Statistician’.

Alun Michael

Not called  194

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  1,  at end insert—

‘(c)
have regard to their usefulness at a local level and the importance of

coterminosity of data.’.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Not called  101

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  2,  leave out ‘Board’ and insert ‘National Statistician’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 18th January 2007
10

Statistics and Registration Service Bill, continued

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Dr Vincent Cable

Julia Goldsworthy

Not called  102

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  4,  leave out ‘Board’ and insert ‘National Statistician’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Withdrawn  140

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  7,  leave out ‘National’ and insert ‘official’.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Not called  91

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  8,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
All those who produce or release official statistics must—

(a)
comply with the Code under the provisions of subsubsection (1),

consulting the Board on matters of interpretation where appropriate; and

(b)
report to the Board any breaches of the Code.’.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Mr Mark Hoban

Mr David Evennett

Withdrawn  141

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  8,  at end insert ‘taking account of the principles set out in

the European Statistics Code of Practice and the United Nations Fundamental Principles

of Official Statistics and other international codes or agreements which the Board

considers to be appropriate.’.

[Adjourned till Tuesday next at 10.30 a.m.