While there are conspiracies justifying theories, usually cockup is a better explanation - or some combination of the two.
The Lords debate is no longer today's debate but archived on http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200607/ldhansrd/text/70502-0003.htm
Some of the speakers spoke from their own experience - in particular I recall (though my memory may be faulty) that Patrick Jenkin as was, was responsible for some of the 31 changes to the claimant count so has first-hand experience of ministerial misuse of statistics.
---------------------------------------------------------
Paul Bivand
Head of Analysis and Statistics
Direct Line: 020 7840 8335
Inclusion
3rd floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
Tel: 020 7582 7221
Fax: 020 7582 6391
Inclusion website: www.cesi.org.uk
The contents of this e-mail and any attachment(s) are intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient please return the e-mail to the sender and delete from your mailbox.
The contents of this e-mail and any attachment(s) are intended solely for the use of the addressee.
-----Original Message-----
From: email list for Radical Statistics
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of ray thomas
Sent: 03 May 2007 15:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: In the Lords
The 'Today in Parliament' presenter may be right in suggesting that the
decision will be reversed in the Commons. Managing the presentation of
information, ie spin, is a fundamental component of New Labour.
An interesting current example is the allegation that people are more likely
to recycle their rubbish if collections are reduced to a fortnighly basis.
So deeply is the spin embedded in Government thinking that they don't seem
to have noticed that there has been no attempt to explain the connection
between recycling and frequency of rubbish collection.
The Commons, full of party hacks, are not going to challenge this political
strategy of management of information..
But this strategy is about presentional, not facts. The statistics
themselves are not altered. A lively opposition can in anticipation of the
known publication dates prepare their own press releases .
It is sad that Lord Moser seems out of touch with the situation. Why focus
on pre-release? The Bill is about independence. And even at this stage
the Government is inventing a new bit of spin "the hub" to disguise the fact
that the proposed new Statistics Board will not make statistics more
independent (The Minister said that key proposal is that the hub will be
the separation of policy commentary from statistical commentary and
release.)
Thanks, Ted for the web reference to the House of Lords debate (that is the
source of information about "the hub". The URL worked OK a few times but
then I got the message "The link you followed is either outdated,
inaccurate, or the server has been instructed not to let you have it."
Is this an extension of Government spin??
Ray Thomas
-----Original Message-----
From: email list for Radical Statistics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Ted Harding
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 12:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: In the Lords
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/07.htm#hddr_1
Statistics and Registration Service Bill
3.58 pm
Clause 8 [Monitoring and reporting of official statistics]: Lord Moser moved
Amendment No. 42:
42: Clause 8, page 4, line 36, at end insert--
"( ) The Board is to monitor the arrangements for--
(a) the release of official statistics, and
(b) any access to official statistics in their final form
prior to publication."
.....
[I decline to summarise]
Final score:
Their Lordships divided: Contents, 196; Not-Contents, 133.
(And the presenter on "Today in Parliament" tonight thought that the result
would probably be reversed in the Commons).
Best wishes to all,
Ted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <[log in to unmask]>
Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861
Date: 03-May-07 Time: 00:35:48
------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
******************************************************
Please note that if you press the 'Reply' button your
message will go only to the sender of this message.
If you want to reply to the whole list, use your mailer's 'Reply-to-All'
button to send your message automatically to [log in to unmask]
Disclaimer: The messages sent to this list are the views of the sender and
cannot be assumed to be representative of the range of views held by
subscribers to the Radical Statistics Group. To find out more about Radical
Statistics and its aims and activities and read current and past issues of
our newsletter you are invited to visit our web site www.radstats.org.uk.
*******************************************************
******************************************************
Please note that if you press the 'Reply' button your
message will go only to the sender of this message.
If you want to reply to the whole list, use your mailer's
'Reply-to-All' button to send your message automatically
to [log in to unmask]
Disclaimer: The messages sent to this list are the views of the sender and cannot be assumed to be representative of the range of views held by subscribers to the Radical Statistics Group. To find out more about Radical Statistics and its aims and activities and read current and past issues of our newsletter you are invited to visit our web site www.radstats.org.uk.
*******************************************************
******************************************************
Please note that if you press the 'Reply' button your
message will go only to the sender of this message.
If you want to reply to the whole list, use your mailer's
'Reply-to-All' button to send your message automatically
to [log in to unmask]
Disclaimer: The messages sent to this list are the views of the sender and cannot be assumed to be representative of the range of views held by subscribers to the Radical Statistics Group. To find out more about Radical Statistics and its aims and activities and read current and past issues of our newsletter you are invited to visit our web site www.radstats.org.uk.
*******************************************************
|