Statistics and Registration Service Bill

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
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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)
Sections 11 and 12 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
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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
publish Scottish devolved statistics.
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(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.
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Retail prices index
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(1)
The Board must under section 17—
(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
prices index, the Board must consult the Bank of England as to whether the
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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.
(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
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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 —
“index-linked gilt-edged securities” means securities issued under section
12 of the National Loans Act 1968 (c. 13) the amount of the payments
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under which is determined wholly or partly by reference to the retail
prices index;
“relevant index-linked gilt-edged securities” means index-linked gilt-
edged securities issued before the commencement of this section
subject to a prospectus containing provision relating to early
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redemption in the event of a change to the retail prices index;

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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“retail prices index” means the United Kingdom General Index of Retail
Prices.
Additional statistical functions
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Statistical services
(1)
The Board may provide statistical services to any person in any place within or
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outside the United Kingdom.
(2)
The services which may be provided under this section include in particular—
(a)
providing information, advice and technical assistance in relation to
statistics;
(b)
providing quality assessment in relation to statistics;
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(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
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.
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(3)
A Northern Ireland department may by order delegate to the Board any of its
functions relating to the production of statistics.
(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
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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(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.

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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Functions: supplementary
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Ancillary powers
(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
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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
a report on—
(a)
what it has done during that year,
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(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—
(a)
Parliament,
(b)
the Scottish Parliament,
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(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
exercise of its functions.
(4)
The Board must lay a report under subsection (3) before one or more of the
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following—
(a)
Parliament;
(b)
the Scottish Parliament;
(c)
the National Assembly for Wales;
(d)
the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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(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
(1)
The Board must exercise its functions efficiently and cost-effectively.
(2)
The Board must seek to minimise the burdens (including financial burdens) it
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imposes on other persons.
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Directions
(1)
If the Prime Minister considers that there has been a serious failure by the
Board—
(a)
to comply with its objective, or
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(b)
to perform any of its functions,

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

Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(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
statistics,
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they may, with the consent of the Prime Minister, 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—
(a)
to comply with its objective, or
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(b)
to perform any of its functions so far as relating to Welsh devolved
statistics,

they may, with the consent of the Prime Minister, give the Board such
directions as they consider appropriate to remedy the failure.
(4)
If the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland considers that
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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,

it may, with the consent of the Prime Minister, give the Board such directions
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as it considers appropriate to remedy the failure.
(5)
The Prime Minister may give the Board such directions as he considers
appropriate for the purpose of implementing any Community obligation.
(6)
A direction under this section must be in writing.
(7)
A direction under this section must be published by the authority which gave
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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 Prime Minister gives a direction under this section—
(a)
he must lay a copy before Parliament, and
(b)
he must notify the Scottish Ministers, the Welsh Ministers and the
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Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland of the
direction, who must lay a copy before the Scottish Parliament, the
National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly
respectively.
(9)
Where the Scottish Ministers give a direction under this section—
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(a)
they must lay a copy before the Scottish Parliament, and
(b)
the Prime Minister must lay a copy before Parliament.
(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 Prime Minister must lay a copy before Parliament.
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(11)
Where the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland gives a
direction under this section—
(a)
it must lay a copy before the Northern Ireland Assembly, and
(b)
the Prime Minister must lay a copy before Parliament.

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Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(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.
(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
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subsection (12) with the consent of the Prime Minister.
Organisation and administration
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National Statistician: advisory functions
(1)
The National Statistician is to be the Board’s principal adviser on—
(a)
the quality of official statistics,
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(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
matters.
(3)
If the Board rejects the advice of the National Statistician—
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(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
definition, methodology, classification or standard promoted by the
Board under section 9,
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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.
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National Statistician: executive functions
(1)
The National Statistician is also to be the chief executive of the Board.
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(2)
The National Statistician may, subject as follows, exercise any of the functions
of the Board (including functions of establishing committees under section 31
and delegating functions to such committees).
(3)
The National Statistician may not exercise the functions of—
(a)
determining under section 10 whether to adopt a code as the Code of
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Practice for National Statistics or to revise the Code, or
(b)
determining under section 11(1) or 12(1) whether any official statistics
comply with the Code.
(4)
The Board may direct the National Statistician—
(a)
not to exercise a particular function, or
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(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),
(b)
the other executive members of the Board (subject as follows), and
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Statistics and Registration Service Bill
Part 1 — The Statistics Board
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(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.
(8)
The delegation of a function by the National Statistician under subsection (7)
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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.
(10)
If the Head of Assessment is an executive member of the Board—
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(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).
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Head of Assessment
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(1)
The Head of Assessment is to be the Board’s principal adviser on the exercise
of its functions under sections 11(1) and 12(1).
(2)
The Board must have regard to the advice of the Head of Assessment in the
exercise of those functions.
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Separation of functions
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(1)
The National Statistician may not take part in any assessment or determination
of the Board under section 11(1) or 12(1) in relation to statistics produced by the
Board.
(2)
An executive member of the Board, not being the National Statistician or the
Head of Assessment, may not take part in any assessment or determination of
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the Board under section 11(1) or 12(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 11(1) and 12(1) in relation to
those statistics.
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(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.
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Committees
(1)
The Board may establish committees for the purpose of—
(a)
exercising functions of the Board, or
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(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.
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