Statistics boss 'to boost trust'

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The new head of the Statistics Board has pledged to restore public trust in official figures on subjects like crime, unemployment and immigration.

Trust had been undermined by changes to the definition of unemployment and other data, said Sir Michael Scholar.

He said good statistics were "vital to sound economic strategy" - concerns had been raised by the Bank of England.

The board will oversee the production of 1,300 types of official figures and report back to MPs.

It has been set up with the aim of boosting confidence in government statistics and will begin work in April.

'New start'

Sir Michael, a former civil servant who was private secretary to Margaret Thatcher, has been president of St John's College, Oxford, since 2001. Other members of the Statistics Board will be appointed soon.

Sir Michael said trust had been undermined in recent decades - by a succession of changes to the definition of unemployment by the Tories and uses of data by the Labour government.

Good statistics are absolutely vital. For society at large they are like sound money and clean water - we just need them Sir Michael Scholar

"I think we have got a new start which comes out of the Act of Parliament which will enable us to rebuild public confidence in UK official statistics," he said.

He added that he hoped the new arrangements would have a similar effect to the Bank of England being granted independence in 1997.

"Good statistics are absolutely vital. For society at large they are like sound money and clean water - we just need them.

"They are vital to sound economic strategy and to good social policy."

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures are used by the Bank of England in making important decisions - such as fixing interest rates.

The Bank of England has expressed concerns about the relocation of hundreds of experienced ONS staff to Wales, saying if sufficient people chose not to move, it could have an severe impact on the quality of economic statistics.

The Commons Treasury Committee has also said job cuts and savings have put the ONS under "intense pressure" and could jeopardise the accuracy of its figures.

The government commissioned a review of the way crime statistics were compiled last year - and concluded it needed a radical overhaul.

Professor Adrian Smith, who headed up the review warned public trust could be undermined because what the national picture may bear no resemblance to what people individually experience locally.