HM TREASURY News
Release (141/07) issued by The Government News Network on 10
December 2007
The Treasury and
Cabinet Office are today publishing Limiting pre-release access to
statistics: a consultation document. This follows the
Government's commitment to Parliament to consult publicly on
the rules and principles for pre-release access to official
statistics in their final form.
Limiting pre-release access is part of the parcel of reforms
linked to the Statistics and Registration Services Act 2007, which
is the most substantial piece of statistics legislation for 60
years and establishes an independent Statistics Board to promote
and safeguard the production and publication of official statistics.
The consultation document sets out how, as a part of the
Governance of Britain programme of constitutional renewal, the
Government is proposing to tighten the rules and principles under
which pre-release access can be granted. These proposals include:
* limiting pre-release access to a strict maximum of 24 hours,
reduced from up to five working days for certain statistics at
present - as set out by the Prime Minister in July;
* requiring that pre-release access be limited to the minimum
necessary number of people and the minimum number of statistics;
* requiring that, where pre-release access is granted, it be done
in an open and transparent manner, with details of who gets what
statistics documented and published; and
* once pre-release access to a statistic in final form has been
granted, that statistic will be under embargo - meaning that its
contents cannot be shared with others until the point of
publication. As now, those granted pre-release access to
statistical releases must not alter or attempt to alter the
content or timing of those releases, or the way in which they are
presented; and obviously pre-release access must not be used for
personal gain, or for political advantage.
Consultation responses will be used to inform the rules and
principles for pre-release access that will then be put to
Parliament for approval by the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
The Government welcomes views on the proposals set out in the
consultation document by 3 March 2008.
NOTES TO EDITORS
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