House of Lords portcullis
House of Lords
Session 2006 - 07
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Statistics and Registration Service Bill


Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

8

 

16      

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.

17      

Code: transitional

5

(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

(b)   

“the existing Code” means the National Statistics Code of Practice

10

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.

(4)   

The Board may not under subsection (3) make any revision relating to pre-

15

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

18      

Production of statistics

20

(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).

(3)   

The Board may not without the consent of the Scottish Ministers produce and

25

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

department produce and publish Northern Ireland devolved statistics.

30

19      

Retail prices index

(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

35

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.

 
 

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

9

 

(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 —

5

“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-

10

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.

15

Additional statistical functions

20      

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—

20

(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.

25

21      

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.

22      

Delegated functions

(1)   

A Minister of the Crown may by order delegate to the Board any of his

30

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.

35

(4)   

An order under this section may include consequential or incidental provision

(including provision amending any enactment).

 
 

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

10

 

Census etc

23      

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—

5

(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);

(c)   

paragraph 5(a) and (c) of Schedule 1 to the Parliamentary

Constituencies Act 1986 (c. 56) (function as assessor to Boundary

10

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.

Functions: supplementary

24      

Ancillary powers

15

(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

manner as it thinks fit.

25      

Reports

20

(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,

(b)   

what it has found during that year, and

(c)   

what it intends to do during the next financial year.

25

(2)   

The Board must lay a report under subsection (1) before—

(a)   

Parliament,

(b)   

the Scottish Parliament,

(c)   

the National Assembly for Wales, and

(d)   

the Northern Ireland Assembly.

30

(3)   

The Board may at any time produce a report about any matter relating to the

exercise of its functions.

(4)   

The Board must lay a report under subsection (3) before one or more of the

following—

(a)   

Parliament;

35

(b)   

the Scottish Parliament;

(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.

40

 
 

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

11

 

26      

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

imposes on other persons.

27      

Directions

5

(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,

   

he may give the Board such directions as he considers appropriate to remedy

10

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

(b)   

to perform any of its functions so far as relating to Scottish devolved

15

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

Board—

20

(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

such directions as they consider appropriate to remedy the failure.

25

(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

devolved statistics,

30

   

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

obligation.

35

(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.

(8)   

Where the Chancellor of the Exchequer gives a direction under this section—

40

(a)   

he must lay a copy before Parliament, and

(b)   

he must notify the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers and the

Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland of the

direction, who must lay a copy before the Scottish Parliament, the

 
 

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

12

 

National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly

respectively.

(9)   

Where the Scottish Ministers give a direction under this section—

(a)   

they must lay a copy before the Scottish Parliament, and

(b)   

the Chancellor of the Exchequer must lay a copy before Parliament.

5

(10)   

Where the Welsh Ministers give a direction under this section—

(a)   

they must lay a copy before the National Assembly for Wales, and

(b)   

the Chancellor of the Exchequer must lay a copy before Parliament.

(11)   

Where the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland gives a

direction under this section—

10

(a)   

it must lay a copy before the Northern Ireland Assembly, and

(b)   

the Chancellor of the Exchequer must lay a copy before Parliament.

(12)   

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.

15

(13)   

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

subsection (12) with the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Organisation and administration

28      

National Statistician: advisory functions

20

(1)   

The National Statistician is to be the Board’s principal adviser on—

(a)   

the quality of official statistics,

(b)   

good practice in relation to official statistics, and

(c)   

the comprehensiveness of official statistics.

(2)   

The Board must have regard to the advice of the National Statistician on those

25

matters.

(3)   

If the Board rejects the advice of the National Statistician—

(a)   

in relation to the development and maintenance of definitions,

methodologies, classifications and standards for official statistics, or

(b)   

as to the application to any statistics produced by the Board of any

30

definition, methodology, classification or standard promoted by the

Board under section 9,

   

the Board must publish a statement of its reasons for doing so.

(4)   

Where the Board publishes a statement under subsection (3), it must as soon as

possible thereafter lay a copy before Parliament.

35

29      

National Statistician: executive functions

(1)   

The National Statistician is also to be the chief executive of the Board.

(2)   

The National Statistician may, subject as follows, exercise any of the functions

of the Board (including functions of establishing committees under section 32

and delegating functions to such committees).

40

(3)   

The National Statistician may not exercise the functions of—

 
 

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

13

 

(a)   

determining under section 10 whether to adopt a code as the Code of

Practice for National Statistics or to revise the Code, or

(b)   

determining under section 12(1) or 13(1) whether any official statistics

comply with the Code.

(4)   

The Board may direct the National Statistician—

5

(a)   

not to exercise a particular function, or

(b)   

as to how he should exercise a particular function.

(5)   

The National Statistician must establish an executive office of the Board.

(6)   

The executive office is to consist of—

(a)   

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

10

(b)   

the other executive members of the Board (subject as follows), and

(c)   

such other employees of the Board as the National Statistician may

assign to it.

(7)   

The National Statistician may delegate any function which he may exercise

under subsection (2) to any other member of the executive office.

15

(8)   

The delegation of a function by the National Statistician under subsection (7)

does not prevent him from exercising the function himself.

(9)   

In the event of a vacancy in the office of National Statistician, his functions

under this section may be exercised by such one of the other executive

members of the Board as the Board may direct.

20

(10)   

If the Head of Assessment is an executive member of the Board—

(a)   

he is not under subsection (6)(b) to be a member of the executive office,

and

(b)   

he may not exercise functions of the National Statistician under

subsection (9).

25

30      

Head of Assessment

(1)   

The Head of Assessment is to be the Board’s principal adviser on the exercise

of its functions under sections 12(1) and 13(1).

(2)   

The Board must have regard to the advice of the Head of Assessment in the

exercise of those functions.

30

31      

Separation of functions

(1)   

The National Statistician may not take part in any assessment or determination

of the Board under section 12(1) or 13(1) in relation to statistics produced by the

Board.

(2)   

An executive member of the Board, not being the National Statistician or the

35

Head of Assessment, may not take part in any assessment or determination of

the Board under section 12(1) or 13(1).

(3)   

The Board must seek to secure that, so far as practicable, employees who take

part in the production of statistics should not be engaged in advising the Board

on the exercise of its functions under sections 12(1) and 13(1) in relation to

40

those statistics.

 
 

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board

14

 

(4)   

The Head of Assessment (whether or not he is an executive member of the

Board) may not take part in the production of statistics by the Board.

32      

Committees

(1)   

The Board may establish committees for the purpose of—

(a)   

exercising functions of the Board, or

5

(b)   

giving advice to the Board.

(2)   

A committee of the Board established under subsection (1)(b) may include

persons who are neither members nor employees of the Board.

(3)   

A committee established under this section may establish one or more sub-

committees.

10

33      

Delegation

(1)   

Subject as follows, the Board may delegate any of its functions (generally or

specifically) to—

(a)   

a member of the Board,

(b)   

an employee of the Board not assigned to the executive office of the

15

Board, or

(c)   

a committee established under section 32(1)(a).

(2)   

The Board may not under this section delegate the functions of—

(a)   

determining under section 10 whether to adopt or revise the Code of

Practice for National Statistics, or

20

(b)   

determining under section 12(1) or 13(1) whether any official statistics

comply with the Code.

(3)   

Any committee of the Board established under section 32(1)(a) may delegate

any function exercisable by it to any of its sub-committees.

(4)   

The delegation of a function by the Board or a committee of the Board under

25

this section does not prevent the Board or committee from exercising the

function.

34      

Proceedings: supplementary

(1)   

Subject to this Part, the Board may regulate—

(a)   

its own proceedings (including quorum);

30

(b)   

the proceedings (including quorum) of any of its committees.

(2)   

A committee of the Board may regulate the proceedings (including quorum) of

any of its sub-committees.

(3)   

The validity of any proceedings of the Board, or of any of its committees or sub-

committees, is not affected by—

35

(a)   

a vacancy, or

(b)   

a defective appointment.

 
 

 
previous section contents continue
 
House of Lords home page Houses of Parliament home page House of Commons home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 2007
Revised 15 March 2007