Assessments

One of the UK Statistics Authority's statutory functions is to prepare, adopt and publish a 'Code of Practice for Statistics' (in consultation with others as appropriate), which sets out the standards that the Statistics Authority expects official statistics to meet. The Statistics Authority will also determine whether official statistics comply with this Code and, if so, designate them as 'National Statistics'.

As part of this duty, the Statistics Authority must also decide whether official statistics comply with the arrangements for pre-release access, which are set out in secondary legislation - the 'Pre-Release Access to Statistics Order 2008'.

This work will be led by the Statistics Authority's Head of Assessment, appointed by the non-executive members to be their principal adviser on the assessment of National Statistics. He operates in accordance with the Statistics Authority's 'Principles and Procedures of Assessment' and its 'Programme of Assessment'.