As with all statistical subjects, you need to look at the footnotes and methodology statements to understand it.
Simon Briscoe's report in the FT goes into more details (the paper does not seem to be up on conservatives.com).
'Under his proposals, the existing Office for National Statistics would be split into two bodies. A National Statistics Office would be established by statute, reporting directly to parliament and be modelled on the National Audit Office. The remainder of the ONS would be a Social and Business Surveys Office, an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, and would take charge of collecting economic and other data.'
The obvious question is why separate the two parts - leaving the data collection under firmer political control than now and leaving the National Statistics Office with little more to do than the Statistics Commission - they would publish analysis and comment, which Ministers would undoubtedly ignore, and put their own spin on things.
If the core of the ONS is designing and carrying out data collection so that it is fit for purpose, then this will be in the Cabinet Office bit rather than the NSO bit.
This looks to be a clever way of spinning a reduction in statistical autonomy.
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ray Thomas [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 09 December 2004 10:02
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: TORIES STEALING LABOUR'S CLOTHES![Scanned]
>
>
> Oliver Letwin announced yesterday that the Conservative Party
> now favours an
> independent statistical service with a National Statistical Office
> answerable directly to Parliament. Another component would
> be a Fiscal
> Projection Committee in the National Audit Office to take
> responsibility for
> official forecasts.
>
> These proposals have a lot in common with Labour Party
> policies expressed in
> the 1990s up until the time they came into office. But the idea of an
> independent statistical service as pledged the Labour Party's
> 1997 election
> manifesto has been abandoned by the Government.
>
> Blair outsmarted the Tories by persistently jumping to their
> right. This
> seems to be the first major instance where the Tories have
> outsmarted Blair
> by jumping to his left. Trust in official statistics has
> never been lower,
> The public are desperate in wanting information they can
> trust. So Oliver
> Letwin's move also appears to be a successful example of
> triangulation.
>
> Ray Thomas
> 35 Passmore, Tinkers Bridge, Milton Keynes MK6 3DY
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Tel 01908 679081
> ***********************************
>
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