§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer of 20 July 2001,Official Report, column 559W, on national statistics, to cover financial year 2001; and if he will make a statement. [60417]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Matthew Taylor. dated 24 June 2002:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about which statistical series National Statistics ceased collecting, calculating and publishing in the financial year 2001. (60417)The scope of National Statistics is evolving and expanding and their coverage sometimes changes to reflect changes in the underlying administrative systems (e.g. the tax systems) on which some of the statistics are based. During 2001 the following National Statistics series were removed from publication for mainly operational reasons:(i) Department for Education and SkillsStatistical Bulletin—Youth Cohort Study. Publication has ceased because this information is now published in three Statistical First Releases.Statistical Volume—Statistics of Education: Student Support, England and Wales. Publication has ceased because the data are now published in two Statistical First Releases and on the Internet.(ii) Home OfficeJury Disqualifications—this information is no longer collected. This followed an assessment of their fitness for purpose with key stakeholders.Deaths Reported to Coroners and Scientific Procedures on Living Animals are still collected but have been withdrawn from scope following a review of all Home Office National Statistics.Section 95 (Compendia)—this publication was withdrawn from scope and the data collected are now available on the Internet.(iii) Department for Work and PensionsIncome-related benefits: estimates of take-up—culation and release of Family Credit take-up statistics previously contained within this publication has ceased because the benefit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit.(iv) Office for National StatisticsJobcentre Plus vacancy statistics—this series has been suspended because of a discontinuity caused by the roll-out of Employer Direct. The figures will be reinstated at the earliest opportunity.(v) Department for International DevelopmentOda/GNI ratio—data is still collected but has been withdrawn from scope.Development Counts—still produced but has been withdrawn from scope as the publication is not under the editorial control of the statistics department.