§ Brian CotterTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have been required to supply information on their returns to the Office for National Statistics in each of the past three years. [59187]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Brian Cotter, dated May 2002:
849WAs National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking how many businesses have been required to supply information on their returns to the Office for National Statistics in each of the past three years. (59187)The total number of enterprises receiving forms for the three years you require is as follows:
Year Number of enterprises 1999 262,232 2000 274,324 2001 270,045 Source:
Office for National Statistics
§ Brian CotterTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information businesses are required to supply to the Office for National Statistics; and in which legislation this requirement lies. [59192]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Brian Cotter, dated May 2002:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what information businesses are required to supply to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and in what legislation this requirement lies. (59192)The ONS requires businesses to supply information on their structure, level of employment and the earnings of its employees, and financial data such as their turnover, sales, prices, stocks and capital expenditure. This information is collected through a range of monthly, quarterly and annual business surveys, with the short term surveys asking for aggregate level data, while the annual surveys seek more detailed structural data. Each business survey is subject to regular review to reassess its continued need. The sample size for each survey is set at the minimum level consistent with the need to produce aggregate statistics for use by the Government in its economic monitoring and planning. Full details of all the business surveys carried out by the ONS are included in the ONS Compliance Plan for 2002 to 2004 which will be available on the ONS website www.statistics.gov.uk/other on the 29th of May.The information sought from businesses by the ONS is collected under the provisions of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947. The Schedule to the 1947 Act allows for the collection of the following:The nature of the undertaking (including its association with other undertakings) and the date of its acquisition; the persons employed or normally employed (including working proprietors), the nature of their employment, their remuneration and the hours worked; the output, sales, deliveries and other services provided; the articles acquired or used, orders, stocks and work in progress; the outgoings and costs (including work given out to contractors, depreciation, rent, rates and taxes, other than taxes on profits) and capital expenditure; the receipts of and debts owed to the undertaking; the power used or generated; the fixed capital assets, the plant, including the acquisition and disposal of those assets and that plant and the premised occupied.The Statistics of Trade Act (Amendment of Schedule Order) 1963, allows for the collection of data relating to assets (other than fixed capital assets) and liabilities of the undertaking, including the acquisition and disposal of those assets and the incurring and discharge of those liabilities; prices of articles and services.The Statistics of Trade Act (Amendment of Schedule Order) 1987 allows for cases where the undertaking is related to a body situated outside the United Kingdom: the nature and extent of the relationship; the nature and extent (and any changes therein) of the financial interest of the one body in the other; the country in which the related body is situated; particulars in respect of issued share capital, minority shareholders' interests, loans, reserves and provisions as recorded in the accounts of the undertaking or such particulars in respect of the related body where it is under the control of the undertaking; net gains or losses of the undertaking attributable to changes in exchange rates, being gains or losses arising out of the 850W relationship; where the undertaking is not a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, its net value to the related body and where the related body is not a body corporate, its net value to the undertaking.The Statistics of Trade Act (Amendment of Schedule) Order 1990 allows for the collection of data relating to income (including rents, interest and investment income) received or receivable by the undertaking; dividends and interest paid or payable; profits; losses; taxes paid or chargeable on income or gains; services acquired or used.