Responsibility for National Statistics

Minister responsible for National Statistics

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, is the minister responsible for National Statistics. His duties include appointing the National Statistician and members of the Statistics Commission. He co-ordinates and publicises the Government´s response to the views of the Statistics Commission and lays before Parliament the annual reports produced by the Commission and the National Statistician.

Devolution

Under devolution arrangements, Ministerial responsibility for co-ordination of National Statistics rests with the Minister for Finance within the Scottish Executive, the Finance Minister within the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Minister of Finance and Personnel within the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The National Statistician

The National Statistician has responsibility for the professional quality of the outputs comprising National Statistics. She or he will maintain and publish a National Statistics Code of Practice to assist this end. In fulfilling this role, he or she will work closely with Heads of Profession for Statistics in Departments and will take account of the views of users. The National Statistician will be responsible for ensuring that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as Minister for National Statistics, and Departmental Ministers are consulted on proposals that impinge on matters of government policy.

National Statistics in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive is committed to bringing relevant official statistics within the scope of the new arrangements. While statisticians working in Northern Ireland are not formally part of the Government Statistical Service, the NI Statistics and Research Agency, NI Departments and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) work closely with the Office for National Statistics and other GB Departments to ensure that common standards apply to the production of statistics throughout the UK. Responsibility for statistical outputs in relation to policy areas which are devolved rests with...

Ministers in the Northern Ireland Assembly

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for National Statistics produced by the Northern Ireland Office.
The Minister for the Department of Finance and Personnel in the Northern Ireland Executive has formal responsible for the coordination of National Statistics in Northern Ireland Departments, including the provisions of this section of the Framework. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland exercises similar responsibilities for the Northern Ireland Office.

The NISRA Chief Executive

For National Statistics produced by or for the Northern Ireland administration, the NISRA Chief Executive will carry out a number of functions similar to the National Statistician, but at the Northern Ireland level. He will, by agreement with the NIO, and in consultation with NI Departments and, where appropriate with the National Statistician:

• establish and maintain the planning Framework for National Statistics for Northern Ireland;
• keep under review the organisation of statistical functions consistent with the objectives of National Statistics;
• produce an annual NI Statistics Plan consistent with the UK Plan, that  reflects the needs of users and brings together statistical work programmes across NI Departments;
• co-ordinate and promote National Statistics policies and procedures within NI;
• maintain central responsibility for the development and deployment of statistical staff within NI;
• establish and maintain mechanisms for taking account of the views of users and providers of data;
• promote and ensure adherence to the National Statistics Code of Practice and other standards for National Statistics; and seek to resolve any issues concerning interpretation of the Code of Practice in NI;
• estimate the compliance costs to business and local authorities of responding to statistical enquiries and seek to minimise the burdens on those who supply data for National Statistics or other purposes;
• within the UK framework, promote EU/international co-operation on statistical matters;
• manage dissemination and marketing arrangements for National Statistics;
• make available to the Statistics Commission such Information as it requires to perform its duties; and
• work with the National Statistician and counterparts in Scotland and Wales to promote comparable statistics across the UK and to maintain statistics required to be submitted on a UK basis to the EU and international bodies.

The Statistics Commission

The Statistics Commission plays a key role in advising on the quality, quality assurance and priority setting for National Statistics, and on the procedures designed to deliver statistical integrity, to help ensure National Statistics are trustworthy and responsive to public needs. It is independent of both Ministers and the producers of National Statistics. It operates in a transparent way with the minutes of its meetings, correspondence and evidence it receives, and advice it gives, all normally being publicly available for scrutiny.