HC Deb 21 July 1993 vol 229 cc277-8W
Mr. Barry Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the release of Government statistical service statistics by the Department of Social Security.

Mr. Lilley

I attach great importance to the integrity and validity of official statistics, and to ensuring public confidence in the statistics for which I am responsible. To this end, I have agreed standard practices specifically for the release of Government statistical service publications by my Department. The practices which will govern social security statistics from the Government statistical service are:

  1. (1) Publications are released at the earliest possible date; the date is determined by the director of statistics.
  2. (2) Publication dates are pre-announced in the central statistical office monthly list of social statistics to be released in the month ahead.
  3. (3) The time of publication will be 11.30 am except for households below average income and benefit take-up statistics which will be published at 3.30 pm to coincide with an announcement to Parliament.
  4. (4) Ministerial comment on DSS statistics is issued separately. The contents of statistical press notices 278 and all other documents bearing the Government statistical service logo are the sole responsibility of the director of statistics.
  5. (5) Copies of publications are available to Ministers and officials 48 hours before publication. Ministers have access to work-in-progress between two and four weeks before publication; access before then is limited to the officials responsible for advice on the statistics.
  6. (6) Some DSS statistical series are published only in "Social Security Statistics", an annual publication. In such cases, the data are made immediately available to officials and Ministers for policy purposes—including answering parliamentary questions—and to the general public and others on request. A list of Government statistical service results statistics which have recently become available will be provided in a quarterly press notice.