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Independent, reliable statistics vital for Scottish Parliament: McConnell
21/10/1999
> The Scottish Executive will adopt the same high standards for production of reliable national statistics, free from political interference, as the UK Government, Finance Minister at the Scottish Executive, Jack McConnell said today.
Commenting on the UK government White Paper, Building Trust in Statistics, Mr McConnell said:
"The principle of statistics being of high quality and free from political interference is vital for the proper operation of the Scottish Parliament. If there is to be informed decision making and informed debate in the Parliament it is essential that statistics are collected, analysed and made available in a way people can trust and that has the confidence of the Scottish people. This applies not only to government but also to the many other areas of decision making where official statistics play a part.
"Scotland will support the aims of the UK proposals. Many statistics will be used for comparisons within the UK and beyond and it is important that figures are consistent and comparable. While developing our own entirely separate approach would be wasteful and time consuming, it is also important that we consider what else is required in Scotland to ensure the needs of the devolved government are met. Whilst we will adopt the basic framework we will also
- Produce an annual Scottish Programme for the development and maintenance of official statistics. It will be consistent with and co-ordinated with the UK Programme but will recognise distinctive Scottish needs and circumstances. It will allow people in Scotland to see and comment on what is proposed and will aim to meet the new demands for statistics as the business of the Scottish Parliament develops.
- Develop further the agreements and liaison arrangements on statistics, including the new Concordat, to ensure that inter-administration issues are dealt with efficiently and effectively. The Scottish Programme itself will allow these issues to be clearly identified and dealt with and ensure that the Scottish dimension is taken into account.
- Give early consideration to how the independent Commission proposed in the White Paper might work in Scotland, with a recognition of the importance of enhanced arrangements to meet Scottish needs, subject to cost constraints.
- Consult with the Scottish Parliament to consider whether it would wish to establish a scrutinising role, similar to that proposed for the UK parliament
I am determined that we set the highest standards and match those to be set at a UK level."
BACKGROUND
1. Mr McConnell has particular responsibility for statistics within the Scottish Executive and a co-ordinating role across Scottish departments.
2. The UK White Paper, Building Trust in Statistics, contains a number of proposals including
* Establishment of a Statistics Commission, independent of both Government and the producers of official statistics. It will publicly advise on integrity issues and help achieve the objectives of transparency and accountability.
* A framework for National Statistics to cover initially all publications currently produced by the Office for National Statistics, and, with the agreement of Ministers, other statistics published by Departments, but extending over time. This framework will include a new Planning Process, a revised Code of practice, which will set out requirements for integrity, relevance, quality and efficiency, and new arrangements for user involvement.
* Appointment of a Head of National Statistics, taking over the responsibilities of the Director of the Office of National Statistics, and who will have a particular responsibility for integrity and quality of official statistics.
3. All of these arrangements will apply across the UK. This will ensure consistency and comparability and ensure European and international requirements are met.
News Release: SE0982/1999
21 Oct 1999