The Scottish Government

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE STATISTICS PLAN OVERVIEW AND ANNUAL REPORT 2004/05

Office of the Chief Statistician

APRIL 2004

Foreword

National Statistics arrangements require the production of a statistics plan and annual report on performance. This year we have combined the Annual Report with an overview of forward plans that should provide the basis for discussion on developments in statistics for the coming year. Detailed 2004/05 plans for each area of statistics were the subject of discussion with users and providers.

Plans and reports on past performance for each specific area of statistics are available separately as shown in Annex A.

The content relates to the work of the Statistician Group in the Scottish Executive (SE), its agencies and the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). This covers all National Statistics and official government statistics produced by the Scottish administration. A full year-ahead programme of statistical outputs is maintained on our website at Forthcoming Statistical Publications.

The document does not cover

• ad hoc statistical collections by other parts of the Scottish Executive.
• statistics on Scotland produced by UK Government Departments, although links to such statistics are in our website.
• most financial data about the Executive.

PRIORITIES

1. The purpose of official statistics is to provide government, Parliament and the public with the information needed to:

• Measure the delivery and impact of government programmes
• Support their implementation
• Support debate on and development of future programmes.

2. This statistics plan focuses on the strategic developments required to deliver this agenda.

3. The first section sets out the key areas of activity designed to deliver the right statistics, at the right time and in the right form to inform government programmes through measuring delivery and impact.

• Developing a new high-level summary of key statistics.
• Providing a database of targets.
• Improving target setting.
• Advising on the impact of Scotland's demographic changes.
• Improving timeliness.
• Improving relevance and dropping statistics that are no longer needed.
• Improving the way we analyse and publish statistics.

4. Later sections look at some of the major changes planned in the way in which we collect and process statistics:

• Modernising the way we collect and produce population and social statistics.
• Continuing to improve macro-economic statistics to the level required for a devolved country.
• Developing our arrangements for involving users and providers in our planning and decision making.
• Assuring the integrity of statistics through the National Statistics Code of Practice and related arrangements.
• Further developing quality, methodology and liaison with the other parts of the statistical service in the UK.
• Developing the professional expertise of our workforce.

5. These priorities are consistent with the view of ScotStat Board, our user/provider involvement structure.

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