House of Commons Amendments

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

LORDS amendments to the
Statistics and Registration Service Bill
[The page and line references are to HL Bill 53, the bill as first printed for the Lords.]
Clause 3
1
Page 2, line 3, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
2
Page 2, line 4, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
3
Page 2, line 7, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
4
Page 2, line 9, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
5
Page 2, line 11, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
6
Page 2, line 13, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
Clause 4
7
Page 2, line 29, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
8
Page 3, line 3, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
9
Page 3, line 5, leave out “Treasury” and insert “Cabinet Office”
Clause 8
10
Page 4, line 36, at end insert—

“( )
The Board is to monitor the arrangements for—

(a)
the release of official statistics, and

(b)
any access to official statistics in their final form prior to

publication.”
Clause 10
11
Page 5, line 12, leave out “National”
12
Page 5, line 13, at end insert—

Bill 134 54/2

2

“(1A)
The Code shall include rules and principles relating to the access to official

statistics in their final form prior to publication (“pre-release access”),

including—

(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 persons, to whom pre-release access

may be granted;

(c)
the period, or maximum period, during which pre-release access

may be granted; and

(d)
the conditions subject to which pre-release access may be granted.

(1B)
The Code may make different provision for different cases.”
13
Page 5, line 13, at end insert—

“(1C)
The rules and principles for pre-release access required by subsection (1A)

shall keep such access to the minimum necessary to meet the needs of

Ministers.”
14
Page 5, line 13, at end insert—

“(1D)
The Code shall include rules and principles relating to the release of official

statistics, including—

(a)
the location from which the release of official statistics may be

made;

(b)
the time at which the release of official statistics may be made; and

(c)
the identification of the person or persons who are responsible for

the release of official statistics.”
Clause 11
15
Leave out Clause 11
Clause 12
16
Page 6, line 18, leave out “National”
After Clause 12
17
Insert the following new Clause—


“Duty to continue to comply with Code

(1)
The person producing any official statistics which are designated under

section 12 as National Statistics must ensure that the Code of Practice for

Statistics under section 10 continues to be complied with in relation to the

statistics.

(2)
Failure to comply with subsection (1) in relation to any statistics means that

the designation of the statistics as National Statistics may not be confirmed

under section 13 (but no action shall lie in relation to any such failure).”
Clause 13
18
Page 7, line 6, leave out “National”

3

After Clause 14
19
Insert the following new Clause—


“Requests for assessment: supplementary

(1)
Where in the case of any official statistics other than statistics produced by

the Board—

(a)
the appropriate authority has not under section 12(1) requested the

Board to assess and determine whether the Code of Practice for

Statistics has been complied with, and

(b)
the Board is of the view that it would be appropriate for it to do so,


the Board must notify the appropriate authority accordingly.

(2)
Where the appropriate authority is a Minister of the Crown, the Board must

lay a copy of its notification under subsection (1) before Parliament.

(3)
A Minister of the Crown, on receiving notification under subsection (1),

must provide the Board with—

(a)
a statement that he intends to make a request under section 12(1) in

relation to the statistics; or

(b)
a statement that he does not intend to make such a request,


and must lay a copy of the statement before Parliament.

(4)
A statement under subsection (3)(a) must include a timetable for making

the request.

(5)
A statement under subsection (3)(b) must give reasons for not making the

request.

(6)
Where the National Statistician determines not to make a request under

section 12(1) in relation to any official statistics produced by the Board, he

must—

(a)
make a statement that he does not intend to make such a request,

giving reasons, and

(b)
lay a copy of the statement before Parliament.

(7)
In this section “appropriate authority” has the same meaning as in section

12(1).”
Clause 17
20
Page 8, line 15, leave out subsection (4)
Clause 27
21
Page 11, line 6, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
22
Page 11, line 17, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
23
Page 11, line 24, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
24
Page 11, line 31, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”

4
25
Page 11, line 33, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
26
Page 11, line 40, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
27
Page 12, line 5, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
28
Page 12, line 8, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
29
Page 12, line 12, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
30
Page 12, line 18, leave out “Chancellor of the Exchequer” and insert “Prime

Minister”
Clause 29
31
Page 13, line 2, leave out “National”
32
Page 13, line 8, leave out subsections (5) to (8)
33
Page 13, line 19, after “section” insert “and section (Executive office)”
34
Page 13, line 21, leave out subsection (10)
After Clause 29
35
Insert the following new Clause—


“Executive office

(1)
The National Statistician must establish an executive office of the Board to

assist him in his exercise of—

(a)
the function of the Board under section 9(1)(a) (development and

maintenance of definitions, methodologies, classifications and

standards for official statistics),

(b)
the function of the Board under section 18 (production of statistics),

(c)
the function of the Board under section 19 (retail prices index),

(d)
the function of the Board under section 20 (statistical services), and

(e)
any other function of the Board which he may exercise under

section 29(2).

(2)
The executive office is, subject to this Act, to consist of—

(a)
the National Statistician (who is to be its head),

(b)
the other executive members of the Board, and

(c)
such other employees of the Board as the National Statistician may

assign to it.

(3)
For the purposes of subsection (1) the National Statistician may delegate

any function of the Board referred to in that subsection to any other

member of the executive office.

(4)
The delegation of a function by the National Statistician under subsection

(3) does not prevent him from exercising the function himself.”