Statisticians ‘less independent’

Scotland’s statisticians have become less independent since devolution, experts warn.

Economists said they questioned whether Scotland’s chief statistician could speak out if figures were being misused.

The discussion at a meeting of Holyrood’s Economy Committee follows the UK Statistics Authority chairman Sir David Norgrove publicly rebuking Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson over his revival of the discredited claim that Brexit would allow the UK to take back control of £350 million a week.

Green MSP Andy Wightman suggested that could not be done in Scotland “because there is nobody of that nature commenting, at least on Scottish statistics”.

Economist Margaret Cuthbert said: “We actually did have much more independence on the chief statistician speaking out in Scotland prior to devolution.

“That particular time he or she...could always go directly to the head of ONS (Office for National Statistics) and stand up for the quality of statistics. That went with devolution.”

Richard Marsh, director of 4-Consulting, said the national accounts team should be “more independent” of government, adding: “It hasn’t been independent since devolution.”

He said that it was “very worrying” that last year’s Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland figures, were “preempted” by a government paper on the cost of Brexit to Scotland.