To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process. (113086)

The National Statistics Code of Practice (2002)—which serves as a model for all public sector statistical work—established the principle that

“final responsibility for the content, format and timing of release of National Statistics”

rests with the Head of Profession for Statistics in each department. In reaching their decisions, Heads of Profession take into consideration the detailed procedural guidance given in the “National Statistics Protocol on Release Practices”.

Copies of the Code and its 12 supporting Protocols are available in the Library of the House and can also be accessed using the following address:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/default.asp

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the (a) subject of the statistics, (b) (i) the original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case. (113674)

In accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice (2002), the Head of Profession for Statistics in DCMS has sole responsibility for determining, pre-announcing and, if necessary, altering the dates of publication of “National Statistics” and other relevant statistics produced by the Department.

Any decision to change a pre-announced publication date will be based on a range of professional considerations such as the completeness of the underlying data, their fitness for purpose, the need for consistency and coherence, the need to promote widespread access and informed debate, or any earlier accidental or wrongful release. In reaching their decision, the Head of Profession will also take into consideration the detailed procedural guidance given in the “National Statistics Protocol on Release Practices”. The Code and its 12 supporting Protocols are available in the Library of the House, and can also be accessed using the following address:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/default.asp

This Department has no historical record of the occasions on which the Head of Profession changed a pre-announced publication date in the last five years.