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Dear all, (With apologies for resending - the formatting on the original email meant it was very difficult to read, so attempting to resend.) This message is to alert you to some forthcoming planned changes and to ask for any comments from members of this list. Should you wish to respond on any points, we suggest you email [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> rather than reply to this email. Replying to this email means you will be sending it to all 140+ recipients! Change of format for workbooks In the latest Immigration Statistics http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2012/ (within 'About this Release') you may have seen that in order to make published figures as accessible as possible to a wide range of users, it is planned to publish tables in Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS) format rather than Microsoft Excel for future editions of Immigration Statistics. The aim is that users with most types of spreadsheet software, including Excel and open source software, will be able to download and use the ODS format workbooks in a similar way as currently. For those who have not previously used ODS format workbooks, we have posted a copy of the latest Before Entry volume 2 (Entry Clearance Visas data, tables be.01.q to be.06.q) in ODS format to the JISCmail file store BE_vol2_tables_Q4_2012_ODS.ods<https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=MIGRATION-STATS&a=get&f=/BE_vol2_tables_Q4_2012_ODS.ods>. ODS format files can be opened in any workbook software, including Excel. For comparison purposes, the version in excel is available from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q4-2012/before-entry2-q4-2012-tabs. With ODS format, the freeze panes and hide gridlines options, both of which have previously been used in the Excel tables, are not available. If you have any comments on these plans, or the example workbook, please contact us via [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. Change of web address On Thursday (27 March 2013) the Home Office website is due to move to GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk ) which is the new home for information issued over the internet by government departments. We have been informed that the Home Office will have a departmental presence at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office . To access Home Office research and statistics at GOV.UK (from 27 March), go to: Statistics at Home Office (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/about/statistics ) and, Research at Home Office (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/about/research ). We also have had assurances that steps are being taken to redirect old weblinks to the new site from 27 March, with all current content of the Home Office website being migrated across. Download file sizes Over the last year and a half, a number of the topic workbooks, in particular tables for Before Entry, Asylum, Removals and Voluntary Departures and Detention, have needed to be split into an increasing number of volumes as file sizes have grown with each quarter of data. We recognise that it will not be easy for users to keep a track of which volume a table can be found in. In addition to greater accessibility, another significant benefit of ODS format is smaller file sizes for the same tables. This will allow us to plan for future releases, with an aim that the volumes of tables can remain the same for the next few years, and may even allow some of the current volumes of Immigration Statistics tables to be re-amalgamated. Once file sizes get beyond a set limit, it would be intended to move some data into historical data tables, while retaining the same volume structure for the most recent data. Questions that we have for users are: - Do you anticipate that a maximum file size of 8MB in, say, three years time would cause you any issues? If it would, what would you propose the maximum file size is set at? - How many years of data would you prefer in the 'current' data tables (as opposed to the historical data tables)? Please tell us which data (using the table or topic name) you use. Please note that data sets are currently provided with the maximum number of years available. Please note again that while this email asks for your feedback we suggest you make any response by emailing [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> rather than directly replying to this email as otherwise you will be responding to all 140+ recipients. Many thanks Liz Urie Liz Urie Head of Asylum and Enforcement Statistics and Publication | Migration Statistics | Home Office Statistics [log in to unmask] 17th Floor | Lunar House | Wellesley Road | Croydon | CR9 2BY All opinions are personal and independent of any official view of the Home Office. ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are private and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please return it to the address it came from telling them it is not for you and then delete it from your system. This email message has been swept for computer viruses. ********************************************************************** The original of this email was scanned for viruses by the Government Secure Intranet virus scanning service supplied by Cable&Wireless Worldwide in partnership with MessageLabs. (CCTM Certificate Number 2009/09/0052.) On leaving the GSi this email was certified virus free. Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.