- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 29 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its code of practice for the publication of official statistics.
Answer
Currently mostofficial statistics publications produced by the Scottish Government areclassed as National Statistics and are produced according to the NationalStatistics Code of Practice. Even those official statistics publications whichdo not meet all the National Statistics requirements are produced according tothe National Statistics Code as far as possible.
The current National StatisticsCode is published and can be found at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/cop/default.aspUnder theStatistics and Registration Service Act, the Statistics Board will prepare andpublish a new Code of Practice for Statistics. This new statutory code,which will replace the current National Statistics Code, is to be a bestpractice guide for all official statistics. Further, the board will use this codeto re-assess all current National Statistics and assess official statisticsthat are put forward for National Statistics designation, including thoseproduced by and for the Scottish Government.
The board’s code willnot be published until some time after the act is brought into force in April2008.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether special advisers compiled the table of GDP figures that was distributed to journalists on 28 October 2007.
Answer
Civil servants producedanalysis on Scotland’s income per capita, with varying methodsof accounting for North Sea output. The full analysis, including tablesof GDP per capita figures, was placed in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre on 2 November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth is taking to fulfil his responsibilities under the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
Answer
As minister responsiblefor general statistics issues I can inform you that officials of the ScottishGovernment have been working with the other devolved governments, the UKGovernment and the chair designate of the Statistics Board to prepare for themany changes that will be brought about by the Statistics and RegistrationService Act 2007. Turning specifically to the responsibilities conferred on Scottish ministers underthe act, the Scottish Government is currently:
working on adraft Pre-release Access Order; this will set out the rules and principles foraccess to Scottish official statistics prior to publication.
working with theUK Government to ensure that I am consulted on the appointment of at least onenon-executive director of the Statistics Board, which is the newnon-ministerial department created for by the act.
The act will bebrought into force from April 2008.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis was for the calculation that created the GDP figures quoted by the First Minister on 28 October 2007.
Answer
On 28 October 2007, the First Minister referred to economic analysisproduced by civil servants. Analysis on Scotland’s income per capita, withvarying methods of accounting for North Sea output, was placed in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre on 2 November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the “ongoing government work” is for which the GDP figures that the First Minister quoted on 28 October 2007 were created.
Answer
The analysis onScotland’s income per capita, with varying methods of accounting for North Seaoutput, which was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 2November 2007, is part of on-going analytical work measuring the economic valueof North Sea output both in terms of its direct contribution to the economy andalso its fiscal contribution in terms of tax revenues.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the GDP figures that the First Minister quoted on 28 October 2007 were derived.
Answer
Analysis onScotland’s income per capita, which was referred to by the First Minister on 28October 2007, was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 2November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the source was of the GDP figures that the First Minister quoted on 28 October 2007.
Answer
On 28 October 2007, the First Minister referred to economic analysisproduced by civil servants. Analysis on Scotland’s income per capita, withvarying methods of accounting for North Sea output, was placed in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre on 2 November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what sources the First Minister’s special advisers drew on to compile the table of GDP figures that was distributed to journalists on 28 October 2007.
Answer
Analysis on Scotland’s income per capita, with varying methods of accountingfor North Sea output, was produced by civil servants. Thisanalysis was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 2 November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister’s special advisers compiled the table of GDP figures that was distributed to journalists on Sunday 28 October 2007 for party political purposes.
Answer
Civil servants producedanalysis on Scotland’s income per capita, with varying methodsof accounting for North Sea output. This information was referred to bythe First Minister on 28 October 2007.
The following statementwas made by a Scottish Government spokesperson on 29 October 2007 in relation to the information referred to by the FirstMinister:
“The Permanent Secretaryis completely satisfied that the information was not provided specifically for useat the SNP party conference. Therefore, there was no misuse of civil service resourcesfor purely party political purposes. The figures are as quoted, and a full analysiswill be published in due course.”
The full analysis,including tables of GDP per capita figures, was placed in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre on 2 November 2007.
- Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the First Minister used the GDP figures that he quoted on 28 October 2007 for party political purposes.
Answer
The following statementwas made by a Scottish Government spokesperson on 29 October 2007 in relation to the information referred to by the FirstMinister:
“The Permanent Secretaryis completely satisfied that the information was not provided specifically for useat the SNP party conference. Therefore, there was no misuse of civil service resourcesfor purely party political purposes. The figures are as quoted, and a full analysiswill be published in due course.”
The full analysispromised on 29 October was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centreon Friday 2 November 2007, and demonstrates clearly the basis of theinformation referred to by the First Minister. Placing factual information in thepublic domain is a legitimate function of the Scottish Government.
