Statistics and Registration Service Bill

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
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Other Bills before Parliament

Statistics and Registration Service Bill

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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Definitions etc for official statistics
(1)
The Board is to—
(a)
develop and maintain definitions, methodologies, classifications and
standards for official statistics, and
(b)
promote their use in relation to official statistics.
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(2)
The Board may in particular for the purposes of this section give guidance and
advice to persons responsible for official statistics.
(3)
The Board may publish guidance and advice given under this section.
National Statistics
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Code of Practice for National Statistics
10
(1)
The Board is to prepare, adopt and publish a Code of Practice for National
Statistics.
(2)
The Board may at any time revise the Code and, if it decides to do so, must
publish the Code as revised.
(3)
In preparing or revising the Code the Board must consult—
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(a)
the Scottish Ministers,
(b)
the Welsh Ministers,
(c)
the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland, and
(d)
such other persons as it thinks fit.
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Pre-release access
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(1)
The Code of Practice for National Statistics under section 10 may not deal with
any matter relating to the granting of pre-release access to official statistics.
(2)
The appropriate authority may for the purposes of the Code by order provide
for rules and principles relating to the granting of pre-release access to official
statistics.
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(3)
The Code shall apply in relation to any official statistics as if it included any
rules and principles provided for in relation to those statistics under subsection
(2).
(4)
The rules and principles which may be provided for under subsection (2)
include rules and principles as to—
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(a)
the circumstances in which, or descriptions of statistics in relation to
which, pre-release access may or may not be granted;
(b)
the persons or descriptions of person to whom pre-release access may
be granted;
(c)
the period, or maximum period, during which pre-release access may
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be so granted;
(d)
the conditions subject to which pre-release access may be so granted.
(5)
Those rules and principles may—
(a)
make different provision for different cases, and
(b)
allow for the exercise of discretion by persons responsible for official
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statistics.

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(6)
In this section “appropriate authority” means—
(a)
the Treasury, except in a case falling within paragraphs (b) to (d);
(b)
the Scottish Ministers, in relation to official statistics that are wholly
Scottish devolved statistics;
(c)
the Welsh Ministers, in relation to official statistics that are wholly
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Welsh devolved statistics;
(d)
the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland, in
relation to official statistics that are wholly Northern Ireland devolved
statistics.
(7)
Before making an order under subsection (2) the appropriate authority must
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consult the other persons referred to in subsection (6)(a) to (d).
(8)
In this section “pre-release access”, in relation to official statistics, means access
to the statistics in their final form prior to publication.
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Assessment
(1)
At the request of the appropriate authority the Board must, in accordance with
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this Part, assess and determine whether the Code of Practice for National
Statistics under section 10 has been complied with in relation to any official
statistics.
(2)
If under subsection (1) the Board determines that the Code has been complied
with, it must designate the statistics as “National Statistics”; but otherwise it
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must decline so to designate them.
(3)
A request under subsection (1) may not be withdrawn.
(4)
The person responsible for any official statistics in relation to which an
assessment is being made under subsection (1) must provide the Board with
such information about the statistics as it may reasonably require.
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(5)
The Board must publish the results of any assessment under subsection (1).
(6)
The Board may in exercising its functions under subsection (1) take into
account information or advice received from any person.
(7)
In subsection (1) the “appropriate authority” in relation to any official statistics
is a Minister of the Crown, subject to the following—
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(a)
the National Statistician is the appropriate authority in relation to
statistics produced by the Board;
(b)
the Scottish Ministers are the appropriate authority in relation to
official statistics not produced by the Board which are Scottish
devolved statistics;
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(c)
the Welsh Ministers are the appropriate authority in relation to official
statistics not produced by the Board which are Welsh devolved
statistics;
(d)
any Northern Ireland department is the appropriate authority in
relation to official statistics not produced by the Board which are
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Northern Ireland devolved statistics.
(8)
For the purposes of this Part, any official statistics designated as National
Statistics before the commencement of this section shall be regarded as having
been so designated under this section.

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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Re-assessment
(1)
The Board must, in accordance with this Part, assess and determine whether
the Code of Practice for National Statistics under section 10 continues to be
complied with in relation to statistics already designated as National Statistics
under section 12.
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(2)
If under subsection (1) the Board determines that the Code continues to be
complied with in relation to any statistics already designated as National
Statistics under section 12, it must confirm their designation as National
Statistics; but otherwise it must cancel their designation.
(3)
The person responsible for any official statistics in respect of which an
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assessment is being made under subsection (1) must provide the Board with
such information about the statistics as it may reasonably require.
(4)
The Board may in exercising its functions under subsection (1) take into
account information or advice received from any person.
(5)
The Board must publish the results of any assessment under subsection (1).
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(6)
The designation of any statistics as National Statistics may not be cancelled
except pursuant to a determination under subsection (1).
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Programme of assessment
(1)
The Board must prepare and publish a programme for the assessment and re-
assessment of statistics under sections 12(1) and 13(1).
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(2)
The Board may at any time revise the programme and, if it decides to do so,
must publish the programme as revised.
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Principles and procedures
(1)
The Board must prepare and publish a statement of—
(a)
the principles to which it will have regard, and
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(b)
the procedures which it will adopt,

in exercising its functions under sections 12(1) and 13(1).
(2)
The Board may at any time revise the statement under subsection (1) and, if it
decides to do so, must publish the statement as revised.
(3)
In preparing or revising the statement under subsection (1) the Board must
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consult—
(a)
the Scottish Ministers,
(b)
the Welsh Ministers,
(c)
the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland, and
(d)
such other persons as it thinks fit.
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List of National Statistics
The Board must, at least once every financial year, publish a list of statistics
which are at the time of publication designated as National Statistics under this
Part.

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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Code: transitional
(1)
In this section—
(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
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(b)
“the existing Code” means the National Statistics Code of Practice
existing at the time of the commencement of this section.
(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.
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(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).
(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
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).
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(3)
The Board may not without the consent of the Scottish Ministers produce and
publish Scottish devolved statistics.
(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
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department produce and publish Northern Ireland devolved statistics.
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Retail prices index
(1)
The Board must under section 18—
(a)
compile and maintain the retail prices index, and
(b)
publish it every month.
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(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
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.
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(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
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 —
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Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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“index-linked gilt-edged securities” means securities issued under section
12 of the National Loans Act 1968 (c. 13) the amount of the payments
under which is determined wholly or partly by reference to the retail
prices index;
“relevant index-linked gilt-edged securities” means index-linked gilt-
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edged securities issued before the commencement of this section
subject to a prospectus containing provision relating to early
redemption in the event of a change to the retail prices index;
“retail prices index” means the United Kingdom General Index of Retail
Prices.
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Additional statistical functions
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Statistical services
(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—
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(a)
providing information, advice and technical assistance in relation to
statistics;
(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
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
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functions relating to the production of statistics.
(2)
A Welsh ministerial authority may by order delegate to the Board any of the
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.
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(4)
An order under this section may include consequential or incidental provision
(including provision amending any enactment).
Census etc
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Census etc
(1)
The functions of the Registrar General for England and Wales under the
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enactments specified in subsection (2) are transferred to the Board.
(2)
Those enactments are—
(a)
the Census Act 1920 (c. 41) (censuses);

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Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(b)
section 19 of the Registration Service Act 1953 (c. 37) (annual abstract of
number of births, deaths and marriages);
(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).
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(3)
Schedule 1 (which makes consequential and supplementary provision relating
to the transfer of functions under subsection (1)) has effect.
Functions: supplementary
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Ancillary powers
(1)
The Board may do anything which it thinks necessary or expedient for the
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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
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
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a report on—
(a)
what it has done during that year,
(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—
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(a)
Parliament,
(b)
the Scottish Parliament,
(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
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exercise of its functions.
(4)
The Board must lay a report under subsection (3) before one or more of the
following—
(a)
Parliament;
(b)
the Scottish Parliament;
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(c)
the National Assembly for Wales;
(d)
the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(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
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(1)
The Board must exercise its functions efficiently and cost-effectively.
(2)
The Board must seek to minimise the burdens (including financial burdens) it
imposes on other persons.