Labour Force Survey (Hansard, 26 June 1997)

§ Mrs. Liddell

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 26 June 1997: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on the introduction of a monthly version of the Labour Force Survey (LFS). I am responsible for deciding the form, coverage and timing of release of statistics issued by ONS, taking into account the views of customers. ONS consulted customers on the future presentation of labour market statistics; the consultation exercise was launched through an article in the Labour Market Trends published on 8 May. These proposals included the possibility of producing a monthly report from the LFS. Comments on the proposals should have been sent to ONS by 14 June. The proposals set out for consultation reflect the House of Commons Employment Select Committee recommendation that more prominence should be given to the measure of unemployment which is based on the internationally agreed ILO definition. ONS will publicly make available a response commanding wide support. The Government is committed to ensuring the widest possible acceptance of these statistics.