The Government Statistical Service - UK Statistics Authority

The data sharing provisions in the
Statistics and Registration Service
Act 2007 have opened up new
opportunities
statistics, better policy development,
analysis and review as well as more cost
effective collection of data from small
businesses. In brief, six core priorities, three
inflows and three outflows, were identified
and are shown below.
Inflows
Data from the School Census from the
Department for Children, Schools and
Families (DCSF)
Information from the National
Insurance Recording System (Migrant
Workers’ Scan) from HM Revenue and
Customs (HMRC) and the Department
for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Value-Added Tax Data from HMRC
Outflows
Data from the Inter-Departmental
Business Register to the Bank of
England (BoE)
Data from the Inter-Departmental
Business Register to the Department
of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in
Northern Ireland (DETINI)
Key variables from the Labour Force
Survey to DCSF
Having secured approval for these
projects, a second application in
September 2008 extended the work
programme to cover two additional
inflows. Whereas the first, information
on students attending higher education
institutions in England and Wales, is
needed urgently for work on improving
population and migration statistics, the
second, selected data from DWP, will
facilitate work on labour market statistics
as well as wider research and analytical
requirements associated with the
development of the Longitudinal Study.
Having established a clear programme of
work, appropriate project management
and reporting arrangements, good
progress has been made to secure
access to key datasets. ONS completed
negotiations with HMRC and DWP and
made arrangements for the transfer
of selected variables from the National
Insurance Recording System (Migrant
Workers’ Scan) in February 2009.
More recently, the transfer of a sub-set
of variables from the School Census has
been completed. The sharing of data
from the School Census necessitated
the development of a detailed statistical
business case as well as the preparation
of draft regulations. The latter constituted
the first use of the data-sharing powers
in the Act and were approved following
debates in both Houses of Parliament.
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