Dear Sir Robert, Scottish Government Attainment Gap Statistics I am writing to seek the assistance of the UK Statistics Authority in establishing the accuracy of claims made by the First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney MSP, regarding the Scottish Government’s progress on closing Scotland’s poverty-related attainment gap. These claims appear to be at odds with […]
Dear Mr Griffin, Thank you for your letter regarding the claim made by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that “164,000 homes across Scotland have planning permission but are not yet built”. As noted in your letter, the supporting data was subsequently published in response to your Parliamentary Questions, but this should […]
Dear Mr Chote, I am writing to formally complain about the use of unpublished statistics by the Minister of State for Police, Crime and Fire during a statement made in the House of Commons chamber when closing the debate on the Police Funding Settlement on 5th February 2025. During the statement, the Minister cited a […]
Dear Sir Robert Thank you for your response to my letter of 19 Dec 2024. My constituents are grateful that after 30 months, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is following up its original request to the Scottish government to publish a review around the legal and ethical governance arrangements relating to the Scottish Health […]
Dear Mr Balfour Thank you for your letter raising your concerns about the Scottish Health and Wellbeing Census (HWBC). Many of the issues about data governance and sharing procedures discussed by your constituents are out of remit for the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) and fall within the remit of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). […]
Dear Dr Mullan, Thank you for your letter regarding statements by Lord Timpson OBE, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, on the proportion of the population with a criminal record. The first statement was made by Lord Timpson in the House of Lords on 24 July 2024 and stated that: “The criminal […]
Dear Mr Timothy, Thank you for your letter regarding statements made by the Home Secretary on 22 July about a change to the Illegal Migration Act (which would enable the Government to legally begin processing some asylum cases in the UK, rather than being obliged to remove those applicants from the UK first). Specifically, you […]
Dear Sir Robert, I am writing to express my concern regarding the use of a highly questionable statistic with significant limitations in the important field of criminal justice by a Government Minister On the 24th July 2024, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Justice, Lord Timpson, stated in the House of Lords: “The […]
Dear Mr Griffith, Thank you for your letter of 31 October about the changes to taxation announced in the Autumn Budget. As set out in my letter of 4 June to party leaders, and referenced in your own letter, it is essential that, when making claims of this nature, underlying calculations, data sources and context […]
Dear Sir Robert, I am writing in regard to the claim made by the Home Secretary on 22 July that scrapping the retrospective element of the Duty to Remove in the Illegal Migration Act will save £7 billion of taxpayers’ money over the next ten years. The Impact Assessment published by the Home Office appears […]