No 10 aide 'released knife stats'

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A political adviser to Gordon Brown was instrumental in publishing knife crime statistics described as "selective and premature", MPs have been told.

The release of the data, which showed a fall in hospital admissions for stab wounds, was attacked by the statistics watchdog and sparked a political row.

Statistics Authority chair Sir Michael Scholar said he was told a No 10 aide was "adamant" they should be released.

Ministers admitted to being "too quick off the mark" in releasing the figures.

'Political interference'

December's figures pointed to a 27% fall in hospital admissions for stab wounds in parts of the country where a new knife prevention strategy had been in place for six months.

Government statisticians said they were overruled after asking No 10 not to publish the data until March when the campaign would have ended and it could be properly checked.

Here was an occasion where it was clear there was political interference Sir Michael Scholar, Statistics Authority chairman <a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/02/knife_crime.html">Mark Easton on the hearing</a>

Appearing before the Public Administration Select Committee - which is looking into the affair - Sir Michael said there had been clear "political interference" in the publishing process.

"What I simply saw was...that a special adviser at No. 10 had said that No 10 wished to publish these numbers and that then I saw what the chief statistician at the NHS said about that.

"And I saw that No 10 were reported as being adamant that the figures should be published and, of course, the figures were published."

Sir Michael, a former top civil servant, said there was no evidence that ministers or senior officials had been involved in forcing the release of the information.

Politicians were entitled to interpret statistics in their own way and use them to back up their arguments, he stressed, but any political interference prior to their publication was damaging.

"What I think we should stop is the manipulation of numbers before they are ready to be produced by statisticians.

"Here was an occasion where it was clear there was political interference."

Spin claim

The committee's chairman, Labour MP Tony Wright, has asked the Cabinet Office to supply the name of the special adviser said to have made the decision and to confirm whether the individual had been disciplined.

Opposition parties said the incident showed the government was more concerned about positive headlines than facing up to the true extent of knife crime and the need for tougher penalties for those caught carrying knives.

The government admitted "insufficient attention" was given to statisticians' views on releasing the information.

The Home Office says progress is being made in tackling knife crime but more needs to be done.