PREFACE BY THE MINISTER FOR ENTERPRISE, ENERGY AND TOURISM
The Scottish Government is committed to creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. Statistics have a vital role to play in measuring whether progress towards this purpose is being made. However, the use of statistics goes wider than government, as the Statistics and Registration Service Act makes clear Official Statistics are a public good.
My own experience of using statistics has ranged from my time as a student, to an accountant, to setting up and running a business, to a Shadow Minister and now as the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism. Therefore I know the importance of good quality statistics, and I fully understand the term public good. However it is only in my current capacity as a Minister that I have really come to appreciate the work of government statisticians, especially in terms of the principles and procedures that they follow with regards to the integrity of their products. Despite this, public confidence in government statistics is low.
The perception that government statistics are subject to political interference is a big problem, not just for government but for everyone who uses statistics to base their decisions on, to make a point, to hold the government to account or to monitor how the world around them is changing. Improving public confidence is a massive task which we can't do alone. We need the help of the new UK Statistics Authority, the Parliament, the media and other users of statistics.
This report outlines how the Statistics Reform programme, to improve statistical services, has been progressing with a particular focus on how the programme has been shaped by the opinions of our key stakeholders. The consultation paper "Improving Statistical Service in Scotland" was initiated by the previous administration but I feel that these statistics matters should transcend party politics, and as such we have built on the original proposals that were supported by stakeholders. The proposals fit in well with this Government's National Performance Framework and our shared approach to delivering outcomes in partnership with local government, academia, the business community and others.
Jim Mather
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism with responsibility for overall statistics arrangements.