UK Statistics Authority and the Code of Practice
The UK Statistics Authority is an independent body operating at arm's length from government as a non-ministerial department, directly accountable to Parliament. It was established on 1 April 2008 by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. the Following section provides information on the Act and the legislative background in the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments.
The Authority's statutory objective is to promote and safeguard the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good. It is also required to promote and safeguard the quality and comprehensiveness of official statistics, and ensure good practice in relation to official statistics.
Official statistics assessed as compliant with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Official Statistics are designated as National Statistics. Bodies that produce National Statistics are required to ensure that the Code continues to be observed. For other official statistics, compliance with the Code is not a formal requirement.
The Code of Practice requires producers to publish corporate policies and other information to demonstrate compliance with the principles set out in the code. The following section provides the Scottish Governments policies on revisions and corrections, quality assurance and confidentiality as well as links to published information on forthcoming publications, administrative sources and breaches of the code.
Statistics Reform
Statistics Reform was a programme of work undertaken between 2006 to 2009 to improve statistical services in Scotland. Further information is available from the following section.
Pre-release Access to Official Statistics
Pre-release access is the term used to describe the access provided to statistics in their final form immediately prior to publication, for specific purposes. In Scotland the main purpose is to enable those producing the statistics to ensure that those responsibile for delivery are able to comment in an informed manner when the statistics are published. The rules governing pre-release access sit out-with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and are determined by Parliamentary Order:
Framework for Official Statistics
The Framework for Scottish Official Statistics provides a statement of how the statistics produced by, or for, the Scottish Government are managed and how professional independence of the production and publication of those statistics is upheld in line with official statistics and international standards. The first version of the framework will be reviewed and updated shortly. Your views on the framework are welcome at any time and should be sent to:
Roger Halliday
Chief Statistician
Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Tel - 0131 244 0302
or ChiefStatistician@scotland.gsi.gov.uk