Programme of Assessment
Background
Under the provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, the UK Statistics Authority has a statutory responsibility to assess whether the Code of Practice has been complied with in relation to any official statistics, subject to a request from an appropriate authority (as defined in the Act). Where the Authority determines that the Code has been complied with, it will designate the statistics as "National Statistics", but otherwise not. These arrangements also apply to statistics already designated as National Statistics which will be re-assessed.
In fulfilling its statutory remit, the Statistics Authority will use the assessment process to identify steps that could be taken to improve the service to users of the statistics, and will report accordingly. In this way assessment will support the Statistics Authority's overall objective, which is to promote and safeguard the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good.
The Statistics Authority started its assessment programme in early 2009, and published 240 Assessment Reports in the first cycle of Assessment. These are available at:
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/assessment/assessment-reports/index.html.
The Statistics Authority has published a report of the first cycle of Assessment:
Programme for 2013
The Statistics Authority also has a statutory responsibility to prepare and publish a programme for the assessment of statistics. The attached programme covers the sets of statistics to be assessed in 2013, updating the provisional programme published in November 2012 (http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/assessment/programme-of-assessment/assessment-work-programme-2013---november-2012-version.doc).
Some of the assessments listed are subject to them being requested by the appropriate authority as defined in section 12 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
The programme also lists those sets of statistics that producer bodies have suggested could be assessed in 2014/15. The Authority will discuss these suggestions further with producer bodies in due course
The Authority will keep the programme under review. We will formally publish any material revisions as appropriate. The Assessment Team will discuss the detailed scope and timing with producers closer to the time of each individual assessment. Consequently, assessments may not start at exactly the time indicated here, nor have the same composition as currently envisaged.
Monitoring and Assessment
March 2013
ASSESSMENT WORK PROGRAMME 2013
Assessments started January 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Entertainment Licensing Statistics | Department for Culture, Media and Sport |
Road Casualty Statistics | Department for Transport |
Alcohol and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Statistics | Home Office |
Retail Prices Index | Office for National Statistics |
Assessments started February 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Consumer Price Indices | Office for National Statistics |
Migration Statistics | Office for National Statistics |
Priority Sector Statistics | Welsh Government |
Children's Care Statistics | Various producer bodies |
Further and Higher Education Statistics | Various producer bodies |
Poverty, Welfare and Benefits Statistics | Various producer bodies |
Assessments to start March 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Statistics on Health and Safety | Health and Safety Executive |
Substance Misuse Treatment for Young People and Alcohol Treatment for Adults Statistics | National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse |
Scottish Safety Camera Statistics | Scottish Government |
Assessments to start April 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Diagnostic Test Waiting Times | Department of Health |
Labour Market Statistics | Office for National Statistics |
Environment Statistics | Department of the Environment NI |
Assessments to start May 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Crime Statistics | Office for National Statistics |
Assessments to start June 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Agriculture statistics | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
House Price Index | Office for National Statistics |
Scottish Quarterly National Accounts and GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland) | Scottish Government |
Scottish Schools Statistics | Scottish Government |
Assessments to start July 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Ambulance Quality Indicators | Department of Health |
Statistics on International Development | Department for International Development |
Assessments to start August 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Services Producer Price Index | Office for National Statistics |
Short-term Economic Output Indicators | Office for National Statistics |
National Well-being Indicators | Office for National Statistics |
Mental Health Officers' Survey Statistics | Scottish Social Services Council |
Assessments to start September 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Life Opportunities Survey Statistics | Department for Work and Pensions |
Energy and Climate Change Statistics | Department of Energy and Climate Change |
Statistics from the National Bereavement Survey (VOICES) | Office for National Statistics |
Assessments to start October 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Statistics on Hospital-Acquired Infections | Health Protection Agency |
Statistical Data Return | Homes and Communities Agency |
Statistics on Engagement with the Natural Environment | Natural England |
National Accounts | Office for National Statistics |
Assessments to start November 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Work Programme Statistics | Department for Work and Pensions |
Get Britain Working Statistics | Department for Work and Pensions |
Assessments to start December 2013
Group of statistics to be assessed | Producer body |
Valuation Office Agency Statistics | Valuation Office Agency |
Assessments anticipated for 2013/14 but not yet programmed
Maternity Allowance Statistics | Department for Work and Pensions |
Winter Fuel Payments | Department for Work and Pensions |
Monthly Fisheries Statistics | Marine Management Organisation |
Index of Labour Costs and Hours | Office for National Statistics |
Sets of statistics identified as possible assessments for 2014/15
Homelessness Prevention and Relief Statistics | Department of Communities and Local Government |
Social Lettings Tables adjusted for missing LA Landlord data | Department of Communities and Local Government |
Social Housing Lettings and Sales in England: Continuous Recording (CORE) | Department of Communities and Local Government |
Count of Gypsy and Traveller Caravans | Department of Communities and Local Government |
Statistics from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey | Department of Health |
Statistics on Children in Out-of-Work Benefit Households | Department for Work and Pensions |
Access to Work Statistics | Department for Work and Pensions |
Bathing Water Quality Statistics | Environment Agency |
Annual Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring returns | Food Standards Agency |
Public Sector Finance Statistics | Office for National Statistics and HM Treasury |
Statistics from the Hands Up Scotland Survey | SUSTRANS |
Civil Law Statistics in Scotland | Scottish Government |
Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy to 2020 – Annual Statistical Report | Department of the Environment NI |
Northern Ireland Development Management Statistics | Department of the Environment NI |
Statistics for the Driver and Vehicle Agency | Department of the Environment NI |
Annual Statistical Bulletin | Office of the Police Ombudsman NI |
Patient Experience Statistics | Various producer bodies |
Population Statistics | Various producer bodies |