§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
To what extent, if at all, they intend that the Census Statistician and Statistics Commission will have responsibility for the 2001 Census; and[HL855]
Whether, to the extent that responsibility for the 2001 Census is transferred to the National Statistician and the Statistics Commission, adequate funding will be made available for this purpose over and above the provision that has been made for setting up this new arrangement in the Comprehensive Spending Review.[HL856]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.
Letter to the Earl of Northesk from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Dr T Holt, dated 9 February 2000
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary Questions on the responsibilities of the National Statistician and the Statistical Commission for the 2001 Census, and the effect that these arrangements will have on funding.
Responsibilities
The 2001 Census in England and Wales is the responsibility of the Registrar General for England and Wales, who is also the Director of the Office for National Statistics. These responsibilities will transfer to the National Statistician on his or her appointment.
The Census in Scotland is the responsibility of the Registrar General for Scotland, who reports to the Scottish Executive; the Census in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Registrar General for Northern Ireland, who reports to the Northern Ireland Assembly. These arrangements are consistent with the responsibilities of the devolved administrations.
The strategic issues and business planning of the Census in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are co-ordinated by the United Kingdom Census Committee.
91WAThe National Statistician will have the responsibility to fulfil United Kingdom obligations to provide results of the Census to the European Union.
The Statistics Commission will be an independent non-executive body; as such it will have no direct responsibility for producing outputs or conducting the Census. Its duties will include commenting and advising Ministers on the quality of National Statistics. As with all National Statistics, Census outputs included within the scope of National Statistics will be subject to scrutiny by the Commission.
Funding Arrangements
Funding for conducting the 2001 Census and setting up the Statistics Commission was agreed in the last Comprehensive Spending Review.
The White Paper on National Statistics sets out that the Commission will advise Ministers on its own machinery for covering the interests of users and producers of National Statistics within its first six months—including the arrangements for taking account of country/region and subject matter dimensions.