Agenda
- 13:00 – 15:00 (120 Mins) – Owen Abbott – Discussion – Methodology for accurately enumerating students
Panel Members
- Sir Bernard Silverman (Chair)
- Dr Oliver Duke-Williams
- Dr Nik Lomax
- Prof David Martin
- Prof Natalie Shlomo
Office for National Statistics
- Julie Stanborough (ONS Lead)
- Owen Abbott (ONS Deputy Lead & Presenter)
- Cal Ghee (ONS Attendee)
- Jon Wroth-Smith (ONS Attendee)
- Helena Rosiecka (Presenter)
- Ed Dunn (Presenter)
- Leone Wardman (Presenter)
- Steve Smallwood (Presenter)
- Gareth Powell (Secretariat)
- Rob Turner (Secretariat)
| Agenda item | Action | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| [14,1] | Action 78 – ONS to submit paper by correspondence, setting out what the enumeration of “usual residents” is trying to achieve, alongside recommendations on how to adjust guidance to accomplish this. | Owen Abbott |
[M,N] – M denotes the panel number, N denotes its position on the agenda.
The current lockdown restrictions necessitate changes to the messaging and guidance for students to ensure their successful enumeration at a term-time address. It might also require changes to statistical design and methodology during the production of the final output database. This session was to consult the panel on the challenges to enumeration, as well as to allow initial discussions of suggested changes.
ONS presented on work so far and discussed with the panel the work underway to resolve the issues, and potential next steps.
The panel discussed in depth potential issues from the treatment of students not currently in England or Wales, including the effect on migration statistics and the difficulty of completing a census return from abroad.
The issue of students complying with guidance was raised by the panel, particularly in light of resistance from students to accommodation charges in halls of residence, as well as the perceived possibility that household information might be used to enforce covid mixing restrictions.
The approach for addresses privately rented by students was also discussed, with the panel highlighting potential issues from students filling in whole household forms on behalf of housemates that may not be present.
The panel raised the issue of population groups with multiple addresses other than students, such as staff of universities and those with second homes. The situation of requesting a paper form for one’s second home was discussed, namely that it is not currently possible for paper questionnaires to be delivered to an address other than the property it applies to. This could potentially cause issues for those unable to reach their second home due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Overall, the panel recommended ONS determined what was required from usual resident information and then subsequently using this as a basis for work on guidance.
Action 78 – ONS to submit paper by correspondence, setting out what the enumeration of “usual residents” is trying to achieve, alongside recommendations on how to adjust guidance to accomplish this.