UK Statistics Authority ANNUAL REPORT 2009/10 UK Statistics Authority ANNUAL REPORT 2009/10 Annual Report presented to Parliament pursuant to section 27(2) of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 Annual Report presented to the Scottish Parliament pursuant to section 27(2) of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 Annual Report presented to the National Assembly for Wales pursuant to section 27(2) of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 Annual Report presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly pursuant to section 27(2) of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 UKSA/2010/02 Note: UK Statistics Authority referred to as ‘the Statistics Board’ in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 Newport: UK Statistics Authority © Crown copyright 2010 The text of this document (this excludes, where present, the Royal Arms and all departmental and agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the document title specified. Where third party material has been identified, permission from the respective copyright holder must be sought. ISBN: 9781857749052 Contacts For information, contact: UK Statistics Authority Statistics House Tredegar Park Newport South Wales NP10 8XG Tel: 0845 604 1857 International: +44 (0)845 604 1857 Minicom: 01633 815044 Email: [email protected] Fax: 01633 456179 You can find out more information about the UK Statistics Authority at: www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk More information about statistical releases can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk Further information about the Office for National Statistics can be found at: www.ons.gov.uk Annual Report 2009/10 Contents FOREWORD ...........................................................................................3 CHAPTER 1: CHAIR’S REPORT AND ABOUT THE UK STATISTICS 1 AUTHORITY ...........................................................................................4 • 1.1 – CHAIR’S REPORT .........................................................................4 • 1.2 – ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP .........................................10 • 1.3 – FUNCTIONS AND SCOPE...........................................................10 • 1.4 – AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................12 • 1.5 – STRUCTURE OF THIS REPORT ...................................................13 • 1.6 – REPORTING TO PARLIAMENT ....................................................13 • 1.7 – THE AUTHORITY IN 2009/10 ....................................................13 • 1.8 – ORGANISATION ........................................................................14 • 1.9 – SUPPORT TO THE BOARD OF THE UK STATISTICS AUTHORITY .14 • 1.10 – ENGAGEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY ......................................15 • 1.11 – NOTES ON CHAPTER 1 ............................................................16 2 CHAPTER 2: MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT ANNUAL REPORT ...17 • 2.1 – HEAD OF ASSESSMENT’S INTRODUCTION ................................17 • 2.2 – ASSESSMENT ............................................................................20 • 2.3 – MONITORING REPORTS ............................................................23 • 2.4 – MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT NOTES ..................................25 • 2.5 – ISSUES LOG AND CASEWORK .................................................26 • 2.6 – MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT TEAM ...................................26 • 2.7 – THE AUTHORITY AND THE DEVOLVED LEGISLATURES ..............27 • 2.8 – LOOKING FORWARD TO 2010/11 .............................................27 | 1 CHAPTER 3: GOVERNMENT STATISTICAL SERVICE ANNUAL 3 REPORT ................................................................................................29 • 3.1 – NATIONAL STATISTICIAN’S INTRODUCTION ..............................29 • 3.2 – THE GOVERNMENT STATISTICAL SERVICE .................................31 • 3.3 – THE NATIONAL STATISTICIAN’S PRIORITIES ...............................31 • 3.4 – GSS GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS .......................................32 • 3.5 – ACHIEVEMENTS FROM ACROSS THE GSS DURING 2009/10 ......33 • 3.6 – OTHER KEY ACTIVITIES DURING 2009/10 .................................38 • 3.7 – GSS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION .....42 4 CHAPTER 4: OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS ANNUAL REPORT ..45 • 4.1 – DIRECTOR GENERAL’S INTRODUCTION .....................................45 • 4.2 – ONS MISSION, VISION AND VALUES .........................................47 • 4.3 – ORGANISATION ........................................................................47 • 4.4 – CORPORATE SCORECARD ........................................................49 • 4.5 – ONS AT A GLANCE – FACTS AND FIGURES (2009/10) ...............50 • 4.6 – ONS ACHIEVEMENTS ................................................................51 • 4.7 – MAJOR PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS ....................................54 • 4.8 – RISK MANAGEMENT ...............................................................57 • 4.9 – STAKEHOLDER ASSESSMENT ...................................................58 • 4.10 – LOOKING FORWARD ..............................................................62 2 | Annual Report 2009/10 Foreword The UK Statistics Authority is an independent body operating at arm’s length from government as a non- ministerial department. It was established on 1 April 2008 by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and reports directly to Parliament and the devolved legislatures. The Authority’s statutory objective is to promote and safeguard the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good. The Government Statistical Service (GSS) is headed by the National Statistician and is spread across more than 30 government departments, agencies and the devolved administrations. There are more than 7,000 staff working in official statistics, of whom just over 1,400 are members of the professional Statistician Group. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the Executive Office of the UK Statistics Authority and is the UK’s single largest statistical producer. It is also the internationally recognised National Statistical Institute of the UK. | 3 1 Sir Michael Scholar KCB Chapter 1 Chair’s Report and About the UK Statistics Authority 1.1 – CHAIR’S REPORT The Statistics Authority has three distinct roles: statutory responsibility The UK Statistics Authority was for the Office for National Statistics established in April 2008 and this is our (ONS); safeguarding the production and second Annual Report. In last year’s publication of all UK official statistics by report, I outlined some aspects of the over 200 official bodies; and intervention substantial agenda of work that faced in relation to the use of official statistics both the Authority itself and the wider in public debate where we judge that statistical service in the UK. In 2009/10, an intervention is necessary in order to the Statistics Authority consolidated its preserve the integrity or trustworthiness role, structures and staffing, and made of official statistics. The last of these three good progress with our work programme. roles is less demanding than the other It also dealt with a number of matters, two in terms of workload but it is the one some politically charged, that had not that attracts interest and media headlines. figured specifically on our agenda. In the course of the past year the forward The Authority’s aim is to ensure that programme of work has developed and official statistics which are produced: are expanded and I believe that we will those most needed by the wide range of see further evolution in the role of the users of statistics, to guide their actions Authority in the year ahead. and their understanding of British society 4 | Annual Report 2009/10 and the British economy; that high and across the constituent countries of the consistent professional standards are UK, and internationally. maintained in the production of statistics; In these difficult financial and economic and that the figures are well-explained, times there may be some who think including their strengths and weaknesses statistical work is a backroom function as statistics, so that they are meaningful of lesser consequence. The Statistics and helpful to those who need them. Authority, however, firmly believes that the The National Statistician, Jil Matheson, need for good quality official statistics does is leading work with her colleagues not diminish in hard times. More than ever, across the Government Statistical Service Parliament and the public need statistical (GSS) in systematic planning to ensure information to plan policy and services and that, within the resources available, the to monitor the effect of scarcer resources. best possible suite of official statistics is The Statistics Authority will continue produced in the longer term. This is a to make the case for official statistics. big challenge when there are so many While we recognise that no area of public organisations and Government Ministers expenditure can be immune from the need involved in those decisions. The cross- to make savings, official statistics must, in departmental committee responsible our view, be recognised as an essential tool for improving migration statistics is one for efficiency and accountability. example where strong arrangements Future policy for UK have been made