19 July 2007
The Statistics and Registration Service Bill
The Statistics and Registration Service Bill - which was introduced in the Commons on 21 November 2006 and in the Lords on 14 March 2007 - concluded its passage through Parliament on 19 July 2007 and is awaiting Royal Assent.
The Bill creates a new independent Statistics Board, as a non-Ministerial department, with a statutory responsibility to promote and safeguard the quality and comprehensiveness of UK official statistics that serve the public good.
High quality statistics are vital for effective government, and are a key resource for business, academia and the wider community. In line with the wider Government agenda of delegating Ministerial power to credible, independent, institutions with a clear remit set by Government and Parliament, the primary goal of the reforms is to reinforce the independence, integrity and quality of statistics produced in government, helping to improve evidence-based policy making, contributing to better public services and long-term stability in the UK economy.
Update of Legislative process:
The Parliament website maps progress through the House of Commons and House of Lords, with links to the Hansard record for each of the key-stage debates.
Related links:
- Bill as introduced in the Commons - Bill 8 (Parliament website)
- Explanatory Notes to Bill 8 (Parliament website)
- Bill as amended in Public Bill Committee - Bill 51 (Parliament website)
- Bill as introduced in the Lords - HL Bill 53 (Parliament website)
- Explanatory Notes to HL Bill 53 (Parliament website)
- PDF file of Independence for statistics: A Regulatory Impact Assessment (House of Commons) ISBN 978-1-85432-210-6 (417KB)
- PDF file of Independence for statistics: A Regulatory Impact Assessment (House of Lords) ISBN 978-1-84532-252-6 (420KB)
- PDF file of Delegated Powers memo (201KB)
- Independence for Statistics: A consultation document
- Legislative Consent Memorandum (Scottish Parliament)
- National Statistics webpage containing an updated list of 'National Statistics', as at January 2007.

