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Framework for Scottish Official Statistics - Relations with UK Government and Other Devolved Administrations

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70. Relations with the UK Government, the UK Statistics Authority in its role as producer of statistics for the UK Government, and other administrations are subject to

(a) The Statistics Concordat (1999) which is turn part of the Memorandum of Understanding. This is in need of update.

(b) Principles and practices set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice (2002).

(c) A series of working level or service level agreements as follows :

  • Overall Service Level Agreement between ONS and the Scottish Government
  • Provision by ONS of quarterly extracts from the Inter-departmental Business Register
  • Provision and advice by ONS in relation to Macro-economic statistics
  • Quarterly Inquiry into Insurance Companies- provision of data by ONS
  • Provision of data by ONS for the Scottish Input-Output Tables
  • Provision of data by ONS on labour market statistics from the Annual Population Survey
  • Provision of data provided by SG on Public Sector Employment
  • GROS/ONS - Geography and postcode directory file interchange
  • The conduct of the 2011 Censuses in the UK - Statement of Agreement between the Registrars General
  • Civil Registration cooperation (GROS/Identity and Passport Service)
  • National Health Service Central Register (GROS/NHS Information Centre)
  • Provision of data by DWP from Family Resources Survey (FRS) and Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and other sources - covered by a Service Level Agreement
  • Provision of data by HMRC
  • Working level agreement on children, schools and families statistics between SG and the Department for Children, Schools and Families

(d) A range of Government Statistical Service committees and working groups on professional standards and practices and National Statistics planning groups.

71. The Inter Administration Committee of GSS involving the National Statistician and Chief Statisticians in each devolved administration is the main body responsible for ensuring effective liaison.

72. The draft remit of that Committee is as follows:

(a) identifying where there is a user need for comparable and cohesive statistics across administrations including accessibility and metadata to assess comparability;

(b) developing a prioritised programmed to address comparability and coherence issues through Theme Groups and other GSS groups;

(c) considering UK government statistics needed for devolved purposes in reserved policy areas, and devolved statistics needed for UK purposes. This could include cost sharing practices;

(d) enhancing the user voice (with an emphasis on those users requiring UK-wide and international statistics);

(e) considering Statistics Reform Issues e.g. Code of Practice for Statistics, Statistics Concordat, Frameworks, etc.

(f) improving arrangements to share best practice across administrations; and

(g) considering international issues including meeting international requirements and arrangements for moving forward issues that would benefit sub UK international comparisons.

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