HC Deb 19 January 1995 vol 252 cc596-7W
Mr. Matthew Banks

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take to improve the co-ordination and dissemination of Government statistics.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke:

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and I have agreed that the London-based staff of the Central Statistical Office and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys should be located together at Drummond Gate, Pimlico, subject to the satisfactory completion of negotiations on the lease of the buildings in question. We expect them to move there during the latter part of 1995.

The purpose of these moves, which involve the two main statistics collecting arms of the Government Statistical Service, is to improve the efficiency and quality of Government statistics. Because of the concentration and range of skills at the new location, it will become easier to make further progress in bringing together the massive amount of statistical data currently existing in government, relating them in a meaningful way, and making them more readily available both within government and to the community generally in accordance with the thrust of open government. The co-ordination of government statistics will be improved as it will be easier to develop common standards, classifications and definitions, for use not only by CSO and OPCS but by the rest of the GSS.

CSO and OPCS will remain separate organisations accountable to myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health respectively. However, as well as collaborating closely on statistical issues, they will increase efficiency by sharing services wherever possible.

My right hon. Friend and I have commissioned further work to establish what additional benefits would arise from merging the two organisations, and to assess whether these, coupled with other GSS developments, would justify a merger. The intention is that, if a merger were agreed, it should take effect from 1 April 1996.

The arrangements for any merger would fully protect the interests of both organisations' customers, and of those who supply information to them.

OPCS's public search room will remain in St Catherine's house. It will need to move to alternative accommodation in central London before the current lease on St Catherine's house expires in 1999.