New warning over access to statistics

Scottish Ministers should not be given early access to official statistics to guard against them being “spun” or “buried”, MSPS have been told.

The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) has called for the rules in Scotland, which allow ministers and officials access up to five days before publication, to be revised.

RSS said the current system was of concern as it “undermines public trust” in official statistics.

Earlier this year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), scrapped its pre-release access for ministers.

Holyrood’s Economy Committee will hear from the RSS’S Martin Weale on Tuesday as part of its inquiry into economic data in Scotland. In a written submission, RSS said: “As far as Scottish Ministers’ current autonomy is concerned, the RSS strongly urges the committee to call for Scotland’s current rules on prerelease access to be revised.

“We believe that such privileged access undermines public trust in official statistics as, for example, it creates opportunities for figures to be ‘spun’ to the media or ‘buried’ beneath other announcements. The rules in Scotland have long been a cause of particular concern as they allow no fewer than five days of prerelease access to a wide range of official statistics. These arrangements now look in urgent need of reform especially as, since the early summer, pre-release access to ONS’S official statistics has been completely abolished elsewhere.”