Opening date: 20 June 2014
Closing date: 18 July 2014
Department: Office for National Statistics
Category: Migration
International Migration statistics are of interest to a wide audience, including central and local government, academia, the media and the public. The quarterly reporting of international migration statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), incorporating data from the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions, is the main source of international migration statistics.
This consultation seeks user’s views on the future reporting of migration statistics. Specifically ONS would like to receive your comments on proposals to shorten and restructure the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR) and on additional components of migration reporting.
Background
International Migration statistics are of interest to a wide audience, including central and local government, academia, the media and the public. Sources of migration statistics were first brought together in 2009 in the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR). Some changes were made to the report in 2011 following feedback received from users, but since then, the report had grown in length and may not have presented the key areas of interest in the best way. ONS invited users to comment on the future of migration statistics, and on proposals to shorten and restructure the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report.
We asked:
What are your views on our proposals to shorten and restructure the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR) and on other aspects of migration reporting?
You said
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The majority of you wanted a shorter report.
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The majority of you wanted more information on the reliability of migration estimates.
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The majority of you wanted us, where possible, to announce short stories in advance of publication.
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A minority if you wanted more prominence to be given to local area migration data and short-term migration estimates.
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You wanted a single web page with links to all migration related data.
We did
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Shorten the report and introduce a new structure which is more flexible for reporting on new trends.
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Add a new section to the report on the accuracy of migration statistics.
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Direct users to the Migration Theme Page, where links to migration products can be found.
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Aim to announce short stories in advance, but continue to respond to emerging trends using existing published data.
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Consider your comments on local and short-term migration estimates, and decided not to add them to this report, but to add more prominent links to other migration related products (including Short-term Migration Annual Report, the Local Area Migration Indicators Suite and Home Office Immigration Statistics). We also began work on new infographics and data visualisations, which make better use of local area migration data.
Contact details:
Sarah Crofts
Office for National Statistics
Segensworth Road
Titchfield
Hampshire
PO15 5RR
Tel: +44 (0) 1329 444849
email: migstatsunit@ons.gov.uk