HC Deb 19 November 2002 vol 394 c73W
Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Office of National Statistics regarding the accuracy of the statistics it provides; and if he is reviewing standards in the office. [80733]

Ruth Kelly

Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with the National Statistician and other officials at the Office for National Statistics on a range of statistical issues. Under the Framework for National Statistics, responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of national statistics lies with the National Statistician, who keeps such standards under constant review. The National Statistics Code of Practice, which was officially launched earlier this year, states that the National Statistician will report annually on the quality of official statistics.