To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards establishing the Central Statistical Office as an executive agency.

I am pleased to announce that the Central Statistical Office became an executive agency today. Copies of the framework document are being placed in the Library of the House. This sets out the functions and objectives of the CSO, defines clearly the basis of accountability and the division of responsibilities between the director of the CSO and Ministers, and sets out the CSO's commitment to minimising the burden imposed on business by the collection of economic statistics. It also restates the arrangements to ensure the integrity and validity of United Kingdom official statistics.I have set challenging targets for the agency focusing in particular on the need, both within government and outside, for reliable and timely macro-economic statistics. Since the establishment of the enlarged CSO as a separate department in July 1989, significant progress has been made in improving the quality of these statistics. Agency status will give added impetus to this process.Sir Jack Hibbert, the director of the CSO and head of the Government statistical service since 1985, will be the agency's first chief executive until his retirement at the end of February 1992. A successor to Sir Jack is currently being recruited through open competition.