MPs debate statistics reform

Opposition MPs have criticised government plans to create an independent statistics board.

Speaking at the start of the second reading of the Statistics and Registration Service Bill, financial secretary to the Treasury John Healey told the Commons it represented the first major reform in the area since the Statistics of Trade Act in 1947.

He said the creation of a new independent statistics board would represent a "historic day in the development of the UK's statistics system" and would boost public confidence.

"The board will be outside control of ministers and accountable directly to parliament," he said.

Healey added he hoped the Bill's second reading would be accompanied by a debate over how parliament should scrutinise the board's work.

Speaking ahead of the debate, on the first parliamentary day of 2007, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the plans would still leave statistics open to political interference.

"The majority of statisticians working in the civil service will remain unprotected from political interference," he said.

"Important and politically sensitive statistics such as those for crime, waiting lists and exam results will still be under ministerial control."

Shadow Treasury chief secretary Theresa Villiers agreed that: "Public trust in statistics is at an all time low.

"The government had a golden opportunity to tackle this problem but its proposals simply do not go far enough.

"Conservatives would like to see public trust in official figures restored by taking politicians out of the process of production and release of government statistics, and removing their power to manipulate and spin the figures for their own short term political ends."

The proposed board would monitor official statistics and would have the power to report any concerns it may have.

It would be a non-ministerial department, with appointments made through open competition.