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Statement on revisions, errors and postponements

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Revisions, errors and postponements

This statement explains the processes followed when statistical outputs are revised or postponed.

Due out soon

A comprehensive list of upcoming statistical headlines, releases, bulletins and publications.

This explains how we will communicate about revisions we make to our official statistical outputs. It states how we will be open and transparent, ensuring that users of our statistics have easy access to comprehensive information about revisions. Principle 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics requires us to do this.

Errors

Many of the revisions we make are a normal, unremarkable and inevitable feature of statistical life and users are able to absorb and plan for those revisions accordingly. However, some revisions are ‘avoidable’ in the sense that they are the consequence of errors or weaknesses in our procedures or systems. In the latter case, and regardless of whether the responsibility is ours or others, we will follow the procedures described below.

Unplanned revisions (due to errors)

  • Subject to the final authority of the Chief Statistician, section heads and the head of statistical policy unit should jointly decide whether an error is significant enough to warrant changing or withdrawing the information.  If so, the following steps should be taken.  If the error is not significant, for example just a typo, the document should simply be corrected and re-posted to the Internet.
  • As soon as significant errors are found in an output, users will be notified via the Internet, the mailing list for that topic, and policy contacts. If the errors are substantial or harmful a press release will be issued to alert users while the revised statistics are being prepared.
  • The revised statistics will be released as soon as practicable, again in accordance with the Release Practices Protocol.  For example they will be pre-announced and published at 9:30am on a weekday.  In most cases unplanned revisions will be handled by producing a revised Release or Bulletin covering the same data and time periods as the original, and so the same reference number but with a suffix of (R) will be used.  In the few cases where a Release or Bulletin corrects errors in data for previous time periods, but also includes data for a new time period, a new reference number will be used.  The revised data for previous time periods will be clearly marked as such.
  • As far as possible the revised statistics will be released to the same audiences and via the same media. The same supporting information will be provided.

The Statistical Directorate has detailed guidance on revisions, errors and postponements.

The outputs that are classified as Key Releases

Education and lifelong learning

  • Results from the school Census
  • Examination Results in Wales.
  • Student finance: education maintenance allowances awarded in Wales.
  • Further education, work-based learning and community learning in Wales.

Cross cutting education and Skills

  • Participation of young people in education and the labour market .

Health

  • Referral to treatment times.
  • Diagnostic and therapies waiting times.
  • GP referrals.
  • Accident and emergency waiting times.

Economy and labour market

  • Exports
  • Index of production and construction
  • Index of market services

The Key Releases are subject to regular planned revisions.

For release information see our Due Out Soon page.