Authority Diary - November 2008
Welcome to the third issue of Authority Diary, providing news and information about the work of the UK Statistics Authority each month. One of the highlights this month was the appointment of Professor Sir Roger Jowell as the Authority’s Deputy Chair (Statistical System). The Deputy Chair (Statistical System) serves as chair of the Authority’s Committee for Official Statistics which advises the Authority in its regulatory role in relation to the UK’s official statistics system as a whole.
Sir Michael Scholar, Chair of the Authority, continued his programme of visits to meet statisticians in government departments this month. Sir Michael visited the Department for Transport on 6 November, accompanied by the National Statistician, Karen Dunnell, and met with the Permanent Secretary, Robert Devereux, chief statistician Antonia Roberts, and DfT statisticians to discuss the work of the Authority, the production of transport statistics, and other relevant issues. Sir Michael also visited the Department for Communities and Local Government on 25 November and met with the Permanent Secretary, Peter Housden. Sir Michael and Karen will continue their visit to DCLG on 1 December when they will meet with statisticians working in the department.
This month was also a very busy one for the Authority on the parliamentary front. On 7 November, Sir Michael visited the House of Commons Library where he met with statisticians who provide statistical research to MPs and their staff, and he had an opportunity to meet their colleagues in the Commons Committee Office who support the work of Select Committees. The following week, on 11 November, the Authority hosted an evening reception and exhibition in Portcullis House to which a number of MPs, Peers, and their staff attended to learn about the work of the Authority and the wider statistical service. Then, on 20 November, the Authority went back to Portcullis House where Sir Michael gave oral evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee, accompanied by Karen Dunnell and the Authority’s Head of Assessment, Richard Alldritt.
The Authority Board met on 27 November in London. The meeting began with a warm welcome to Roger Jowell. The Board discussed how the Authority responds to issues of public concern, and general principles underlying the assessment and designation process. The Board also signed-off the final version of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, following the recent public consultation on the draft Code, and it received a report on non-National Statistics, including proposals to notify departmental ministers that the Authority wishes to assess some statistics not currently designated as National Statistics against the new Code. The new Code, a report on the consultation process, and the non-National Statistics report will all be published in January. The minutes and papers from the November Authority Board meeting will be published on the Authority website in due course. Minutes and papers of the October Board and previous meetings are published on the website on the About the Authority > Board and committee documentation pages.
If you have any questions about the work of the UK Statistics Authority, or have any comments or issues that you want to raise with us, email authority.enquiries@statistics.gov.uk or write to us at: Statistics House, Myddelton Street, London EC1R 1UW.
Next issue of Authority Diary: 20 December 2008
