The Government Statistical Service - UK Statistics Authority

A series of improvements have been
made to port surveys, including
introducing additional survey shifts
at key ports for the International
Passenger Survey
requirements of the new e-Borders
system – which has been initiated and
will achieve 95 per cent coverage by the
end of 2010 – will be incorporated into
the programme. This is a major new
initiative that has the potential to provide
a rich source of information on migrants
as they enter or leave the UK, leading
to more robust international migration
estimates.
Local Population Estimates
At the end of 2007, the publication of
new estimates of short term migrants at
a high geographic level began – covering
those people staying or leaving for less
than 12 months and filling a gap in the
suite of outputs. Over the course of
the year this continued, along with the
development of a method for supplying
this output at a finer geographic level –
to provide a fuller picture of migration for
local authority areas.
Techniques are also being developed
for improving the measurement of
internal migration (moves within
the UK) of students. This is an area
recognised as requiring development
since the standard source for measuring
internal migration (GP registrations)
does not pick up all moves in this age
group. Aggregate data from the Higher
Education Statistics Agency containing
term-time address of students in higher
education establishments are being used
to adjust internal migration estimates to
compensate.
Administrative sources provide a timelier
source as the basis for estimating the
geographic distribution of international
migration than the 2001 Census currently
used. The GSS has been developing a
model-based approach that combines
several administrative sources to provide
a more representative and current
distribution of international migration at
the local authority level.
Alternative Sources
The Statistics and Registration Service
Act 2007 allows the laying of regulations
to permit data-sharing for statistical
purposes between public bodies and
the UK Statistics Authority. One such
regulation was laid early in 2009 to allow
ONS to share the School Census data
owned by the DCSF. This useful source
provides more information on movements
of the school-aged population.
ONS is also sharing Migrant Worker
Scan data (National Insurance Numbers
allocated to foreign workers) owned
by HMRC and DWP, which gives an
indication of international migration
within the economically active
population.
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