28 July 2006
Ministers will retain a stranglehold on much of the most politically charged official data unless the government creates a truly independent statistical service, senior backbench MPs are warning.
Treasury sub-committee members say the current proposals to give the Office for National Statistics independence from government are not enough on their own to tackle 'worryingly low' public trust in statistics, because the ONS is responsible for just 250 of the 1,450 official datasets produced.
The remainder, which include statistics on contentious issues such as NHS waiting times and criminal conviction rates for different ethnic groups, are produced by individual departments and would not be covered by the new arrangements unless the relevant minister agreed to it.
But the committee says the government will miss a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' to tackle widespread public mistrust if it does not extend the statutory code of practice, which will underpin ONS independence, to the data produced across Whitehall.
Sub-committee chair Michael Fallon, launching its report on July 26, said just 17% of people believed statistics were produced without political interference and only 14% thought politicians used them honestly.
'The government mustn't miss this opportunity to ensure that official statistics are not only independent, but seen to be independent. Public confidence is the yardstick by which the success of the proposed legislation will ultimately be measured,' he added.
PFjul2006
