§ Mr. TruswellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use his Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for(a) the collection and publication of data, (b) devising formulae for the distribution of grants and awards and (c) the delivery of services; and when such usages were last reviewed. [87739]
924W
§ Ruth KellyHM Treasury, the Government Actuary's Department, the Royal Mint, and the Debt Management Office do not currently make use of postcode areas.
National Savings and Investments does not make use of postcode areas to collect data. Postcoded individual records are used to analyse the responses to promotional campaigns.
The Valuation Agency does not make use of postcode areas to collect data. Postcoded addresses are used to allow the public to obtain non-domestic rating assessments and Council Tax band data on its website and for operational purposes.
HM Customs and Excise does make use of postcode areas to collect data. A variety of postcode-based information, from a range of sources, is aggregated at regional level for operational and policy-making decisions. Usage of postcoded information data is continuously reviewed.
Inland Revenue does not make use of postcode areas to collect data. Postcoded individual records, held for administrative purposes, are used to derive published aggregated data for other geographies.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects both social and economic data at the unit postcode level which are used to derive published aggregated data for other geographies. ONS keeps its use of unit postcodes for the collection of data under continuous review.
None of the Departments or agencies publishes data for any postcode areas or makes use of postcode areas to devise formulae for the distribution of grants and awards.