Commentary on Sections and Schedules Part 1: the Statistics Board Section 16 Requests for assessment: supplementary
80.This section requires the Board to notify the appropriate authority (as defined in section 12) if it considers that a statistic which has not already been assessed against the Code under section 12 should undergo such an assessment.
81.Under subsection (2), where the appropriate authority is a Minister of the Crown, the Board is required to lay a copy of the notification before Parliament. Under subsection (3), where a Minister of the Crown receives such a request, he is required to lay before Parliament a statement as to whether (and, under subsection (4), when) he will comply with the Board’s request.
82.Subsection (5) provides that, where the Minister of the Crown decides not to comply with the Board’s request, his statement must include reasons for the decision.
83.Subsection (6) provides that where the National Statistician decides not to request that an official statistic produced under the authority of the Board be assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics, he must make a statement to that effect, lay a copy of the statement before Parliament, and give reasons for his decision.