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2 Feb 2010 : Column 318W—continued
Government Departments: Telephone Services
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Reading West of 21 April 2009, Official Report, column 550W, on Government departments: telephone services, if she will publish the report of the Contact Council's survey. [312306]
Tessa Jowell: In 2009, the Contact Council commissioned a survey from BT of the numbers listed in BT Directory Enquiries as belonging to government or public services and the number range they fell into. A summary of the results of this survey will be published on the Cabinet Office website. This survey informed a 'Statement of Clarification' on numbering strategies that was published in May 2009, which can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website, and will help inform the Channel Strategies which Departments will publish later in the year.
Marriage: Statistics
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes have been made to the collation and distribution of Government statistics on marriage since 1997. [312048]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your request to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what changes have been made to the collation and distribution of Government statistics on marriage since 1997. I am replying in his absence. (312048)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing statistics on marriages registered in England and Wales. Marriage statistics for Scotland are published by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS), and marriage statistics for Northern Ireland are published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). In order to publish marriage statistics for the UK, ONS compiles marriage figures for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The methods used to collate marriage statistics in England and Wales and in Scotland have remained largely unchanged since 1997. In Northern Ireland there was a small change in 2005, when a new registration system was implemented in the Northern Ireland GRO, giving NISRA a live link to the database rather than receiving quarterly downloads, and extending the range of additional information available from marriage registrations. Further information on the collation of marriage statistics for the UK and constituent countries can be found in the attached Annex.
Since 1997, marriage statistics for the UK and constituent countries have been distributed annually in a variety of publications. During this period, vital statistics have been made more accessible
to users via increasing publication on the web, as opposed to paper-based publications. There have also been minor changes to publication timetables for marriage statistics, reflecting improvements in timeliness or quality of data. The attached Annex provides more detailed information about the dissemination of marriage statistics by ONS, GROS and NISRA.
Annex
Collation of marriage statistics
The methods used to collate marriage statistics in England and Wales have remained largely unchanged since 1997. Certified copies of each completed marriage entry appearing in the marriage register are sent to ONS by the General Register Office (GRO). These entries are included in a statistical database to enable the production and analysis of marriage statistics.
The methods used to collate marriage statistics in Scotland have remained largely unchanged since 1997 and are similar to those in England and Wales. For Northern Ireland however, there has been a slight change. Prior to 2005, NISRA received quarterly downloads from a Northern Ireland GRO database system. In 2005 a new registration system was implemented in GRO and consequently NISRA now have a live link to this database. As a result, NISRA now have access to all data entered at registration rather than just the key variables entered in the old database system. Some of the new data available includes information about the bride and groom's country of birth, nationality and current and future addresses.
Distribution of marriage statistics
The methods used to distribute marriage statistics in the UK have also remained relatively unchanged since 1997. Minor changes to publication timetables for marriage statistics have occurred since 1997, but figures continue to be distributed annually in a variety of publications.
For England and Wales, a first release of provisional marriage statistics is usually published by ONS between 13 and 16 months after the end of the data year. In 2002, the first release of provisional marriage statistics was published on the ONS website for the first time. Prior to 2002, the first release was a paper publication only and was distributed to interested organisations and individuals. Provisional quarterly marriage figures for the UK and its constituent countries have also been published in the ONS journal Population Trends since 1997.
Final marriage statistics for England and Wales are laid before parliament pursuant to Section 19 Registration Service Act 1953 in the annual reference volume: Series FM2 (Marriage, divorce and adoption statistics). For every year between 1997 and 2002 (inclusive) the first release of final statistics for England and Wales was in Series FM2. From 2003 however, final marriage statistics were made available on the date of the first release of provisional marriage statistics for the subsequent year, approximately one month before the publication of Series FM2.
Series FM2 no.27 (Marriage statistics in 1999) was the first ARV to be published on the ONS website in July 2001, a practice that has continued for subsequent volumes. Prior to 2001, paper copies were available from the publishers (The Stationery Office). Paper copies have also been supplied to the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department for Health since 1997. From 2005 onwards, the publication schedule of Series FM2 was changed so that it was published 27 months alter the end of the data year, rather than the previous 18 months. This change was implemented to improve the completeness of the final statistics and to minimise missing data.
In Scotland, provisional quarterly and annual marriage statistics are published by GROS approximately 10 weeks after the end of the quarter/calendar year. Final figures are published around 7 months after the end of the calendar year. The Registrar General's Annual Report ('Scotland's Population-The Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends') contains some summary marriage statistics. Until 2000, the printed Annual Report included detailed tables of marriage statistics-these are now published on GROS' website within the annual Vital Events Reference Tables.
For Northern Ireland, NISRA releases quarterly marriage data three months after the end of that quarter. Provisional figures for the full registration year are released six months after the end of the registration year (when corresponding divorce data for the same period is available from the Northern Ireland Court Service). Finalised data are published in the Annual Report of the Registrar General, which is produced 11 months after the end of the registration year.
UK marriage statistics have been distributed by ONS in various statistical publications since 1997. These include regular tables in Population Trends and Health Statistics Quarterly (covering the UK and constituent countries), bespoke analysis in volumes such as Social Trends, and secondary analysis in articles for Population Trends. Further information on these publications can be provided on request.
Other changes affecting the collation and distribution of marriage statistics
In addition to the changes listed above, the following events have had some minor administrative impacts upon the collation and distribution of marriage statistics in the UK. However, the administration of statistics on marriage has remained largely unchanged since 1997.
The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which came into effect on 1 January 2001, amended the Marriage Act 1949. It required that notice of marriage had to be given in person by each of the parties to the marriage, where formerly it had been possible for notice of marriage to be given by one person on behalf of both.
The Marriage (Scotland) Act 2002 allowed civil marriages to be solemnised at locations other than registration offices and authorised local councils to approve locations for marriage. This followed a similar change in England and Wales that was implemented in 1995.
The Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 provided a greater choice of marriage venues and types of ceremony available and made the preliminaries to a marriage the same for everyone. The legislation also includes less strict residence requirements for marriage. These allow resident couples to marry in the area of their choice rather than the Local Government District they live in and make it easier for people from outside Northern Ireland to get married within Northern Ireland.
Measures included in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 were introduced on 1 February 2005 to prevent the possibility of 'sham marriages'. These measures required individuals who are non EEA nationals subject to immigration control to give notice of their marriage at one of 76 designated Register Offices. These restrictions do not apply to marriages by Registrar General's Licence or ecclesiastical preliminaries (banns or licence).
On 1 April 2008, ONS became a non-ministerial government department. At the same time, GRO was moved out of ONS to the Identity and Passport Service. The Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 transfers some of the statistical functions of the Registrar General, including the production of an annual abstract, to the UK Statistics Authority and ONS becomes the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority. The 2007 Act also provides the Registrar General with a power to allow him to disclose any information entered in a marriage register or recorded about a civil partnership to the UK Statistics Authority for statistical purposes. It also enables the UK Statistics Authority to produce and publish statistics relating to any matter.
As has already occurred for birth and death registration, and civil partnerships, a project is underway to implement a web-based Registration ONline (RON) system for marriage registration information to be entered electronically by all register offices across England and Wales. Marriage notices are currently collected on RON and it is planned that in approximately 12 months time, marriage entries will be provided to ONS electronically via the RON system.
Senior Civil Servants: Pay
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 1035W, on civil servants: pay,
what the (a) name and (b) job title is of each of the senior civil servants who have a salary greater than £150,000; and who the employer is in each case. [312460]
Angela E. Smith:
As set out by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his Pre-Budget Report (CM 7747) at paragraph 6.50 the Government have undertaken to publish the salary, including benefits
in kind and the level of any bonus, of named individuals paid more than £150,000 to the nearest £5,000 for all public sector bodies, including Government Departments, subject to direct ministerial control.
The first information to be published on the Civil Service will cover payments during the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010. This information will be placed in the Library.
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